Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Article for Evening News (written question and answer) ("Will society become even more mixed?")

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Source: Evening News, 1 May 1979
Editorial comments: Item listed by date of publication. The Prime Minister and David Steel also published articles responding to questions submitted by readers.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 700
Themes: Agriculture, General Elections, European Union (general), European Union Budget, Housing, Labour Party & socialism, Local government, Race, immigration, nationality, Social security & welfare

Will society become even more mixed?

Q

We are told that England is now a multi-racial society. I would like to know how multi-racial the politicians are going to allow England to become. The provision of statistics would help to establish yearly quotas.

Christian Godlam

Greencroft Gardens,

Hampstead.

A

The Conservative Party believes that every citizen of the United Kingdom who has been accepted for permanent settlement here is entitled to full and equal citizenship and we are utterly opposed to racial discrimination.

We know, however, that if these ideals are to be realised, the strictest possible control must be maintained over numbers of immigrants coming in.

Mr. Godlam is right to call for statistics since nobody knows just how many immigrants want to come into this country. That is why we intend to establish a register of all the wives and children still entitled to enter this country under the 1971 Act.

We shall then see to it that those who wish and are genuinely entitled to come are admitted under a strict quota system which takes account of the country's capacity to absorb them.

BUYING A COUNCIL HOME

Q

With regard to Tory proposals on the sale of council houses to tenants. I would like to know how this will be possible if a local council is Labour controlled as Hounslow is, and it is against the council's policy to sell.

Mrs. J. Groves,

Kingsbridge Road,

Southall.

A

We will establish under law the right of every regular council tenant to buy their own homes. A Labour local authority will not be able to prevent the sale or interfere with the generous terms of purchase which will be set by Parliament and a Conservative Government.

A tenant's right to buy will not be affected if they move, so long as they remain within the same local authority.

WORRY FOR PENSIONERS

Q

How will Mrs. Thatcher help pensioners? If she does not do anything to stop unions getting big wage increases, prices will obviously go up and we will not be able to manage.

A cut in income tax must mean that she will pay for it by increasing VAT. That will make life even harder for pensioners.

L. T. Murphy,

Greenway, Kenton,

Harrow.

A

The next Conservative Government is pledged to maintaining the standard of living of the pensioner, and introducing the pension increases already announced for November. We will also phase out the earnings rule which penalises the efforts of many pensioners to earn a little extra, and give more help to war widows.

I must emphasise that Conservative proposals on taxation will not harm pensioners. Items such as food, fuel, housing and public transport are tax-free and will remain so.

HOW CAN FOOD BE CHEAPER?

Q

Mrs. Thatcher promises to bring down food prices and at the same time says she will co-operate WITH and not AGAINST the Common Market. This surely means she will allow them to dictate their terms to us on everything.

While the Common Market continues to pay heavy subsidies to their farmers to produce mountains of various commodities—then to sell it at very low prices to countries outside the Common Market—how will it reduce the cost of food?

George Martin,

Baylis Road, Lambeth.

A

Mr. Martin has got the argument totally the wrong way round. Since Labour came to power, food prices have risen by nearly 120 per cent, yet by the Government's own admission, the Common Market has accounted for only 10 per cent of this increase. With their record, Labour is not the Party to lecture us on either food prices or Europe.

We agree that there must be changes in Europe, particularly in the Common Agricultural Policy and the Community's Budget arrangements. But Labour have been unable to achieve these objectives after five years in office, and are unlikely to be any more successful after another five years.