Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech to Huddersfield Conservatives (Southall riot)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Huddersfield East and West Central Conservative Committee Rooms, 27 Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Source: BBC Sound Archive: OUP transcript
Editorial comments: Around 0925-0945. MT’s remarks on the riot are obviously drawn from the statement issued by her that morning.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 583
Themes: Conservative Party (history), General Elections, Law & order, Race, immigration, nationality

Ladies and Gentlemen, just before I come on to our particular policies, which I will in a moment, I think we ought to say a word about the dreadful and tragic events in Southall last night, [hear, hear], which really were, which really were a disgrace to democracy and they must be dealt with by the full might and power of the law. [Hear, hear] We welcome the enquiry that's been set up, as Conservatives we all recognize that the whole basis of civilized society is respect for the law and support by each and every citizen for the police in the difficult and dangerous work that they do and we're very mindful of the risks which they daily undertake on our behalf.

We totally condemn the racial policies of the National Front and we've no sympathy whatsoever with any extremist group, but the way to deal with them is by the ballot box and not by bricks or by bombs.[hear, hear] And its' we … we Conservatives must steadily get our arguments across. We believe that it's our arguments which are finding a response in the hearts of the people. I think it's that which is so worrying the Labour Party. The people like the policies we're putting across, and we are constantly sticking to positive policies. Here you've told me this morning that many, many people will vote Conservative because they agree with us, they should pay less tax out of their pay packet. They agree with the emphasis we've put on law and order. They know that it's Mr. Callaghan that's put up prices more than any other government in the last three centuries. They're very worried about the way in which education is going, and many, many of our people want the opportunity to buy council houses for the very first times in their lives, an opportunity they would never get from Labour. These are our positive policies. It is these positive policies which people want and they don't like the way in which the election is being run as a lot of smears and attacks. They really are interested in the future, which is the next five years, and I believe that all, everything that we are saying strikes a chord in their hearts and therefore our task is to go out and meet them and to see them, and to see that they vote for the party which will bring these policies in and which I hope will restore Great Britain to the former position of pre-eminence which she had in the world.[hear, hear and applause]

I'm [more applause] very thrilled to be here in Huddersfield in one of our great industrial and commercial centres, and very pleased to be hear supporting our two candidates, Mr. Dickens and Mr. Bendalow. What happens in Huddersfield will probably determine what happens in the country as a whole, so if we win both seats in Huddersfield, then we're well on our way to another thirteen years of Conservative government, [loud cries of “Hear, hear” and applause] which I hope would rival in distinction that under Mr. Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Mr Harold Macmillan and Mr Alec Douglas-Home, and then Ted Heath because we had the whole of the thirteen years, and they were years of tremendous advance for Britain, again advance, which no other party has been able to match. So we're relying on you, we'll do everything we can, we'll do our bit, you do your bit and we'll hope to have a tremendous victory to celebrate on May 4th. Thank you. [hear, hear]