Remarks visiting Bradford (chemicals plant)

Reporter

The Prime Minister arrived at the Leeds international airport early this afternoon and almost immediately made it clear that, had it not been for this planned visit to Yorkshire which she'd been eagerly anticipating, she too would have visited the Hansworth riot area in Birmingham, along with the new Home Secretary. As it was, Mrs Thatcher was in the region for one of the Prime Ministerial duties she most enjoys, visiting an expanding successful company. The Bradford chemical firm of Allied Colloids has increased its workforce every year since it began fifty years ago. It now employs fifteen hundred. Profits last year of nearly £20 million, four export awards in the last twelve years, and trade with eighty-five countries. And today's bit of expansion, the opening of a new two million pound plant, obviously delighted the PM.

MT

As a politician, of course, it is wonderful to come to a company which tells you that they now employ twice as many people as they did five years ago. So, although technology is marching on, your development of new products and new markets is growing faster, enabling you to expand, not only in the amount you produce, but in the numbers of people you employ.

Reporter

So happy industrial news, but inevitably the subject uppermost in the Prime Minister's mind was the Birmingham violence and the attack on Douglas Hurd.

MT

I'm afraid it is very, very bad indeed, that your Douglas HurdHome Secretary going to see exactly what happened, to do what he could to help, is faced with that. But it mustn't stop one going and it mustn't stop one going around. He's gone to see what's happened, he's gone to see the local people, and he will see them. And if, just when feelings are running very high, you get that, one mustn't be put off. One has nevertheless to carry on and say, “Come on, people of goodwill, get together and we'll deal with it.”