Speech to Finchley Conservatives

If any of her party faithful were afraid that rising inflation and a pessimistic Gallup Opinion Poll had dented Mrs Thatcher's confidence they were given a resounding reassurance to the contrary on Friday night.

In a buoyant, fighting speech she told 450 party workers and guests at a Finchley Conservative Association cocktail party at Woodhouse Sixth Form College that “there will be no U turns”

“I have started so I will finish,” she said to thunderous applause.

And she briskly dismissed the latest Gallup Poll which has the Conservatives trailing in third place by saying that there had been about 22 Gallup Polls since 1983 and she expected there would be 22–30 more before the next election.

Mrs Thatcher then went on to reaffirm her position and outline her thoughts on a number of crucial issues.

Of VE Day she said: “Of the lessons we have learned from VE Day the most fundamental one is that appeasement gives you neither strength nor security nor peace. If you believe very firmly in something then you must always be prepared to defend it, and in your strength you will deter other aggressors from attacking.”

Mrs Thatcher examined the nation's position on the home front, citing its record output, record production and “record high standard of living” , as well as record high investment being ploughed back into the manufacturing industries, commerce and construction.

Then she turned her attention to the “fundamental paradox” .

“Unfortunately we have very high unemployment and it does seem a paradox that we can produce far more goods, services, oil and coal with few people. The reason is that we are in the third industrial revolution which is the technological revolution—that is why we are producing more with fewer people.”

However, since 1983 600,000 more jobs had been created although the impact of these had been reduced because the numbers in the working population were “steadily rising” .

“Although we are creating the extra jobs, the population of working age is going up faster, but we are in the right lines. 600,000 jobs is very good—we have got to go on producing mo” , continued Mrs Thatcher.

Mrs Thatcher gave a resume of the Conservative Party's achievements, as far as pensioners, the National Health Service and education were concerned.

And she said that the Conservative Party believed that caring was something which should be expressed in deeds not in empty rhetoric. [end p1]

“Perhaps we don't bang our own drum enough” . she mused.

She concluded: “We shall continue to be constructive in creating more jobs because we know the creation of new jobs will gradually overturn that unemployment number.

“When we have created the wealth we shall see it is a fair distribution, that those who are unfortunate or disabled are looked after. and for those who are old, we will keep faith with the retirement pensions. That way we shall go to the country. I have started the job and I think I will finish it.”

Mrs Thatcher was given a lengthy standing ovation before she left the building.

Before making her speech she she had spend a long time chatting to groups and individuals who were present.

They were by no means from the constituency as some had come as far afield as Canada, Australia, Singapore, New Guinea, Bedford, Scunthorpe and all over the British Isles.