An election of abuse forecast by Thatcher
The Labour Government will fight the next election on abuse, forecast Opposition Leader, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, speaking at the annual meeting of Finchley and Friern Barnet Conservative Association.
The difference between the two major parties, she told her constituents, was: “Socialists believe that Government is more important than individual citizens and the Conservatives believe that individual citizens are more important than Government.”
It was important that in trying to create wealth you first create incentive and Conservatives put a higher priority on the maintenance of law and order.
“In the last four years of Socialist Government we have had increasing State control, increasing nationalisation, increasing taxation and the glorification of the State over the citizen. For the liberty of the individual we needed a rule of law properly enforced.”
Mrs Thatcher opened her remarks by congratulating Councillor Jimmy Sapsted on being Mayor designate, and wished him a happy year.
Referring to the chairman's annual report, in which he said 1977 had been a year of consolidation and expectation, she said that in the recent Ilford North by-election the Press seemed to have played the victory down. The result, however, proved that the people did not want more Socialist policies.
The Conservatives had won by-election after by-election and had stopped the Government passing Socialist measures.
The MP reminded her audience of the Labour manifesto Back to Work with Labour. What it should have said was, “On taking office, Labour's first priority would be to increase prices; prices will generally rise by 86p in the pound and food prices by 94p in the pound, and £490 per year tax would be levied on every family.
Election
“What was the present Government going to fight the next election on?
“They daren't fight on their record and they are not going to fight it on their programme of nationalisation, so they have to fall back on trying to fight it on abuse.
“We are as united in our resolve to put our policies into operation as we are united in our resolve to win,” she said.