Remarks on the Fulham by-election ("a typical mid-term election result")
| Document type: | Speeches, interviews, etc. |
|---|---|
| Venue: | Exeter, Devon |
| Source: | BBC Radio News Report 1300 11 April 1986 |
| Editorial comments: | MT flew to Exeter - her first visit there since taking office - from Northolt, arriving at 0930. She visited a local college, spoke with the press at Killerton house (1140-1230), attended a private party lunch at a hotel near Cullompton (1245-1400), toured the Axminster Carpet factory (1440-1540) and visited a farm at Colyton before flying back to London at 1755. The Exeter Express and Echo, 11 April 1986, has further material on the by-election result: "It is a typical mid-term election result, and we hope to win it back at the General Election. We have seen this kind of thing in mid-term before, and we usually win back at the following election. ... The Budget was very, very popular; our financial policies are sound; and wealth-creation is going on apace. You cannot have good social services unless enough people do the wealth-creating". |
| Importance ranking: | Minor |
| Word count: | 144 |
| Themes: | By-elections, Public spending & borrowing, Local government finance |
The Prime Minister has given her first reaction to the conservative defeat in the Fulham by-election. Labour won with a three and a half thousand majority over the Conservatives, with the Alliance third. It was the first time they had taken a seat from the Tories for nearly four years. Mrs Thatcher - who's on a visit today to Devon - dismissed the claim by the Labour leader, Mr Neil Kinnock, that the defeat showed a “lack of faith” in the Government. And she commented that the Alliance vote had “collapsed completely”. But Mrs Thatcher did admit that she was disappointed with the result: [end p1]
Yes, I wish we had one, but we were not far off winning, and I believe we shall win it back, as we have done previously - you know - when we've lost seats mid-term before. So there's still quite a lot to go for.