Brian Curtois, BBC
Mrs. Thatcher, this is quite a far-reaching reshuffle. Did you feel that anything had gone wrong with the Government?
Prime Minister
No, indeed, but you have been urging me to do a reshuffle for quite a time. When I did the last one, it was only people who really wanted to leave the Government because they had other things to go to. This time we had to do more the traditional reshuffle where some Ministers were very generous and laid down their portfolios for others to be promoted and for new ones to get their foot on the first rung of the ladder, and also we wanted to do this tremendous change to make it quite clear that new jobs come from enterprise and more business—and that is what we have tried to do with the changes we have made to the Department of Employment and to DTI.
Brian Curtois, BBC
Now, you are determined to strengthen the Government's approach to tackling unemployment. Is there going to be any change of policy in bringing down the jobless total if you can? [end p1]
Prime Minister
The policy is right. You want more jobs. So do I. You get more jobs by getting more business. You only get more business by people being enterprising in producing the right things. That has always been the reasoning. But you see, until now, the Department of Employment had very few enterprise duties. It seemed to be the Department which reported on employment and unemployment and the Department which certainly was responsible for training—and very well it has done it—and for the Community Programme.
I wanted it to have fundamental duties in the creation of enterprise and business. That comes from small business; it comes from tourism; it comes from the enterprise unit which Lord Young has had; and a number of other things. But to make it clear that we shall get more jobs, as we are now, from more enterprise.
Brian Curtois, BBC
Are you not going to run into a lot of criticism for appointing Lord Young as your employment Secretary, Lord Young from the House of Lords?
Prime Minister
Prime Ministers always run into criticism, but you know, the House of Lords plays a very very important part these days, and I thought the important thing was to get a person who I thought would be absolutely outstanding for the job and alongside him a Minister from the Commons, Kenneth Clarke, who also is very very able indeed, and a new fresh face; and together they will be a terrific team! [end p2]
Brian Curtois, BBC
Now, the Home Office has had an arduous time coping with crime, drugs, football hooliganism, even the BBC. Now, will Douglas Hurd have a different approach from Leon Brittan?
Prime Minister
Each person, I think, has their own approach, their own style. The Home Office has always been a difficult Department, a Department which has so many many duties.
Leon Brittan has been a very very good Home Office Minister and so will Douglas Hurd be. I was very anxious to have Leon, who has also spent a time in the Treasury which was important, who is a superb administrator, for the Department of Trade and Industry, and so I had to look round for who I thought would be another very good person, and Douglas Hurd had spent a time there as a Minister of State and also in his last post as Minister for Northern Ireland. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, he has had occasion to work very closely against terrorism, so he seemed a very very appropriate person for it.
But each of us will have our own style, just as every interviewer has his style.
Brian Curtois, BBC
But were you entirely satisfied with Leon Brittan 's public presentation of Home Office policy? [end p3]
Prime Minister
Leon Brittan was an excellent Home Office Minister. When I think of the things which he did. He got together all the enquiries on public order and the Public Order Act; the preparation for the Shops Act; the preparation for drugs, the Criminal Justice Act; the many many things that Leon has done and done extremely well. I wanted not only those abilities, but others which he has in abundance, because he has been a top Minister in the Treasury—he was Chief Secretary—and I wanted those things as well. It was a combination of things which all seemed to come together in Leon.
Brian Curtois, BBC
Is it not rather astonishing to replace your Northern Ireland Secretary while these delicate negotiations are going on with Dublin? Does it mean you are not really expecting very much progress there now?
Prime Minister
No! The talks are very well advanced and I have to think of everything simultaneously and what is the best thing to do, taking everything together. The talks are well advanced, and do not forget I am putting there a very senior experienced Minister in Tom King; one who is marvellous in reconciling differences; who has experience of a number of Departments, which will be needed for Northern Ireland. He has experience of the Department of Employment and experience of Transport and he has been in Cabinet, so he will take over and do an extremely good job and we hope to bring those talks to a successful conclusion. [end p4]
Brian Curtois, BBC
This has been a bad summer for the Government in terms of popularity. Is this reshuffle going to lift support for the Conservatives in the opinion polls or is not more than that really needed?
Prime Minister
Well obviously, I hope it is going to not only lift support but in fact make it clear that we are doing the job which I think most people believe we are doing right. I think I would be more concerned than I am just supposing we were right up now. I would feel: my goodness me, we might be coming down to a trough later. I believe we have been through the trough.
I notice the criticism. It is very interesting. It is not against the policies, which means that people have not really a great deal to criticise about the policies. It means they know the real reasons for unemployment and we are tackling it the right way. They have criticised trivial things and presentation. Yes, we have got to get the presentation right, but it is quite something when by implication you are told that you have got the policies right, but we have to get the other thing right too.
Of course I hope we will get it better in presentation. Of course I hope we will go up in the polls. Of course I hope that we will win the next election, because we have done so much, so much that people recognise—you will not want me to list everything—so much that people recognise to be totally right and right for Britain. [end p5]
Brian Curtois, BBC
Why did you not bring back Mr. Parkinson?
Prime Minister
It was very difficult. You know, I have a very high regard for Cecil 's abilities, but I have many things to consider, many many things, and I came to the conclusion which I thought was the best one, and when I telephoned Mr. Parkinson, who is abroad, he quite understood why I had made the decision, although he would have come back had he been asked to. But we had a very amicable discussion and he will continue to support vigorously the policies of this Government.