Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

European Election Press Conference (launching Conservative European Manifesto)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Conservative Central Office, Smith Square, Westminster
Source: (1) Thatcher Archive: CCOPR (2) Conservative Party Archive: press release (3) Thatcher Archive: CCOPR 367/84
Editorial comments: 1030-1100. MT was accompanied by Leon Brittan, Sir Geoffrey Howe, John Selwyn Gummer and Henry Plumb. A section of text (1) has been checked against BBC Television News 21 May 1984. Central Office later released extracts (2) as well as a brief statement (3) on milk production.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 1811
Themes: Agriculture, Parliament, Defence (general), European elections, European Union (general), European Union Budget, Economic, monetary & political union, Foreign policy (USA), Women
(1) Thatcher Archive: CCOPR

Conservatives believe in a strong Europe because peace comes through a strong Europe and strong defence. Since 1945, the nations of Western Europe have enjoyed a peace more stable and more enduring than could ever have been foreseen by those who experienced a Europe ravaged by war. Working with one another instead of fighting each other is what lies at the heart of the European Community.

We also need a strong Britain to stand up for Britain's interests in Europe. This Conservative Government has already won back £2 billion in rebates for Britain. Conservative members in the European Parliament can really back the Government and get a fair cash deal for Britain.

And that's not the only issues—a strong Britain has begun to get the Community to tackle the real problems—the surpluses; the overspending; the bureaucracy—they all cost far too much.

So these elections do matter for every family in Britain. Whatever people's political views, it is the Conservative Government which is fighting for Britain's interests in Europe. Beginning of section checked against BBC Television News Report 21 May 1984

The Euro fanatics want somehow to see the British character submerged in Europe. Not this Party. We believe Britain has a contribution to make to Europe just because we have our own distinctive national history and character. And then there are the Euro-phobes who want to see Britain out of Europe. Not this Party. We believe Britain is stronger in Europe and Europe is stronger because Britain's in.

Now the Conservative Party is the only Party in these elections which can bring about that strong Britain in a strong Europe. [End of section checked against BBC Television News Report 21 May 1984.] Then when we've finished haggling over the things that divide us, Europe can unite on the great tasks for which the community was founded. [end p1]

[(2) Conservative Party Archive]

The Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, launched the Conservative Manifesto for the European Elections at a press conference at Conservative Central Office today. She was accompanied by the Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, the Home Secretary, Mr Leon Brittan, Party Chairman, Mr. John Selwyn Gummer, Leader of the European Democratic Group in the European Parliament, Sir Henry Plumb, and Foreign Office Minister, Mr Malcolm Rifkind.

Mrs Thatcher said: “This is the second campaign to elect members of Parliament to the European Parliament to represent Britain there. We believe in a strong Europe because peace comes through strong defence and a strong Europe.”

Since 1945, she said, the nations of western Europe had enjoyed a peace more stable and enduring than could have been forseen by those who experienced a Europe ravaged by war.

“By working with each other, not fighting each other, we are resolving our problems. At the same time, we need a strong Britain to stand up for Britain's interests in Europe. This Conservative Government has won back for Britain £2 billion in rebates and our MEPs will continue their efforts to get a fair cash deal for this country.”

Due to Britain's persistence, the European Parliament was tackling problems that urgently needed resolutions, such as how to deal with the surpluses, with overspending and with cutting down the bureaucracy. The Conservatives would go on fighting for Britain's interests in Europe, believing both in Europe, and in a strong British voice and representation in Europe.

“The Conservative Party is the only party which can bring about that strong Britain in a strong Europe. When we have stopped haggling over those things that divide us, Europe can unite on the great tasks for which the community was founded.” [end p2]

Questions

Cost of Campaign?

Asked how much the Conservatives would be spending on the campaign, Mr Selwyn Gummer replied: “We are not spending any European money at all on this campaign. We do not believe in state funding.” Pressed to put a figure on the sum, he said he would not reveal a precise figure.

Rebates?

Asked how to reconcile the reference in the Manifesto to a rebate of £2½ billion with her reference to a return of £2 billion, the Prime Minister replied that £2 billion had already been returned to Britain, and that the additional £½ billion had been negotiated, but had not yet been returned.

“It will come,” she said.

Later, in answer to another question on the rebate she said: “The Community needs more money and will not get it—and thus will find itself in extreme difficulty—unless we reach agreement on these matters. There must be a unanimous agreement involving every country, and that will not happen until we get our 1983 refund and a reasonable settlement for the future.” [end p3]

C.A.P. Reform

Asked what Conservatives could say to disgruntled members of the farming community over the recent reforms, the Prime Minister said: “I appreciate that it is difficult for the farmers, but they recognise that we had to make a start on the surplus production.” Consumption in the Community of dairy products was about 86 million tonnes, whereas production was heading for 106 million tonnes. “It will be difficult for the farmers and we are trying to do it as reasonably as possible.”

There would be a step down in one year followed by another in the next, and we were hoping to export more to Europe. “We do not like exporting at subsidised prices, especially to the Soviet bloc.”

Sir Henry Plumb commented that farmers realised the need for changes. Hardship cases were being looked at by Ministers now, and he hoped that more would be said on the subject before the end of the week.

The Prime Minister added: “We are very much aware of the difficulties that our farmers are facing, but they know that we had to tackle the whole question of surpluses.”

Use of the Veto

Asked whether she agreed with what the questioner claimed to be a fair proportion of Conservative MEPs that the Council should move towards a system of majority voting, thus cutting down the use of the veto, the Prime Minister said: “We want to keep the veto as it is now, and not to weaken it in any way. It is very powerful for Britain to have that veto, for it means that we have the capacity to have greater influence in Europe. We believe firmly in our ability to influence Europe because we have a great contribution to make. Unlike other parties, we do not believe that the veto should be weakened in any way.” [end p4]

E.M.S.

Asked when conditions would be right for Britain to join the EMS, Sir Geoffrey Howe replied that although it was not possible to identify the moment at which Britain could join, “it is fair to observe that the increasing stability in terms of relative inflation rates which we have achieved has taken us in the right direction. I cannot go beyond that.”

Pressed further on the subject, Sir Geoffrey said that much depended on the wide divergence of economic performance that had occurred in the Community, and the extent to which Britain's currency was exposed as a petro-currency to wide variations.

He believed that had we been a member of the EMS from 1979, the number of parity changes affecting our currency would have been larger. “The conditions are progressively getting smoother, but we must still wait for the right time to arrive before joining,” he added.

Powers of the European Parliament

Told that many voters in Britain saw the European Parliament as a mere talking shop, and asked how she would like to see the powers of the Parliament increased, the Prime Minister replied: “I do not wish to see the powers of the European Parliament increased because we believe they are about right now. Most of the major decisions must be agreed separately by the governments and all the major matters are debated in our Parliament.”

Asked to spell out the relevance of the European Parliament, Mrs Thatcher said that it had considerable influence, for example on the Social Fund and on the Budget—issues which mattered greatly to Britain—and on the details of directives from the Commission. It could also help to bring about a common market in services. By constantly bringing matters before the Commission, it could reduce bureaucracy to reasonable proportions. It could also have a great deal of influence on environmental matters.

Victory Forecast

Sir Henry Plumb said the Conservatives had 81 excellent candidates in the field, all with positive, not negative, policies. “We are committed to Europe. I am sure that we shall win in the interests of greater stability for all the people in the Community. It is a question of bringing a little common sense into the Common Market.” [end p5]

Defence

A questioner wondered whether the Prime Minister having linked defence with the Common Market, she believed in a European Defence Community and a European army.

Mrs Thatcher replied: “No. I believe in a strong Europe, and that working together helps us to achieve that. But defence should be done through NATO and the European countries must be prepared to play their full part in NATO.”

The United States made a “fantastic contribution” to NATO and was totally reliable within the Alliance. “We must be equally reliable,” she added.

Women—(especially in Euro Parliament)

Was the Prime Minister in favour of increasing the number of women MEPs among Britain's contingent, now 11 out of 81?

Mrs Thatcher replied: “The proportion of women in the European Parliament is, I am afraid, larger than that in the Westminster Parliament. I should like us to have more in both. Indeed, I should like there to be sufficient for each and every one to cease to be thought of by men as a phenomenon.” [end p6]

[(3) Thatcher Archive: CCOPR 367/84]

The Prime Minister today reassured dairy farmers that there would be no further cutbacks in milk production in 1985 beyond the level already agreed last March.

Questioned at a press conference launching the Conservative Party Manifesto for the European Elections she made it clear that in 1984/5 the European Community would provide guarantees for milk production up to a total of 99.235 million tonnes.

Production above that quantity will be subject to the so-called super levy.

The Government has already made it clear that from 1985–6 the guaranteed quantity will be 98.363 million tonnes.

The cost of the extra guaranteed quantities agreed for 1984–5 will be met by an increase in the rate of co-responsibility levy of one percentage point for this year only.

The effect of the agreement is that the Community has allowed an additional quota of almost a million tonnes for the first year in the operation of the quota system.