Tories must put case more effectively, MPs warned

Conservative MPs were told last night by their leader, Mrs Thatcher, that the party had to put its case to the country more effectively.

In an otherwise glowing end-of-term report to the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, Mrs Thatcher said she was convinced that the Conservative message was right but they had to put across their policies successfully.

She also said the party had to project its people more. She meant particularly the front-bench spokesmen, who have been criticized for their lack of impact.

However, most of Mrs Thatcher's speech, her annual review of the year to the back-benchers, was couched in terms of satisfaction with Conservative progress during the previous 12 months.

She told the 180 MPs at the meeting in the House of Commons that the party was united in purpose and very high in morale. It was in very good heart and full of fight,

She felt the message was right and said it was now up to everyone, MPs and workers in the constituencies, to ensure that all people in all walks of life could identify with the Conservatives.

She had been to all the parliamentary by-elections and from meeting people had gained the impression that high taxation was the biggest concern of all people, ranging from pensioners and shop-floor workers to middle management. She had witnessed for herself the increasing welcome on council estates for Conservative party workers.

Mrs Thatcher also pointed out that the departure of Mr Jenkins, the Home Secretary, to Europe would leave the moderates in the Labour Party without a leader, and she said, in militant mood that they could expect the drift towards Marxism in the Labour Party to become increasingly pronounced.