Colin MacKay, STV
Prime Minister, you launched a blistering attack on Labour in Edinburgh last night, but today an opinion poll suggests that more than twice as many people in Scotland support Labour as support you. Now, why should that be?
MT
Well, I find that disappointing. But there are some 200 polls between the day we started on the election campaign and election day—that's 200 polls in 21 days. They show very differing results and I must say that I ask all our Scottish candidates very carefully and judge as I myself goes round, go round, we actually feel we are getting a better response than we got in 1983. That's what we feel, on the ground.
Colin MacKay, STV
But this poll shows a 26 per cent gap between you and Labour, to Labour's advantage …
MT
Yes. But there was also another poll. A local elections by-election in Micky Hirst's seat. That wasn't … that didn't bear out your poll's findings at all. And this was an actual poll and we did rather well in that seat, really well.
Colin MacKay, STV
But this is an all-Scotland poll today which correlates quite curiously with two constituency polls done last week and this week which suggests that if you run the raw data through the computer, the Tories could end up with five or six seats in Scotland and you would lose two members of the Cabinet.
MT
We run all the polls through the computer. All 200. Everyone that comes out every day we run through the computer and we believe that our vote is holding very well.
Colin MacKay, STV
At the end of the day Prime Minister, accepting that the vote will go up and down, there is still a big gap. Labour has many more MPs at dissolution than you have. Why should it be that the Thatcher revolution, as it is called by Norman Tebbit, is not taking off in Scotland?
MT
I ask myself the same question. Scotland believes in defence. She believes it fundamentally because she's that kind of people. Quite apart from that she has many many jobs in defence. And Scotland, I believe, believes in the nuclear deterrent. So she should be with the Conservative Government. Scotland believes in law and order. It is [end p1] the Labour Party that's voted consistently against the Prevention of Terrorism Act although it helps the police. It is the Labour Party which has voted against increased sentences, although most people would think that they are necessary. It is the Labour Party which has voted against an appeal to the Court of Appeal about lenient sentences. So again I would expect Scotland to be with us on that. Scotland I would expect to be with us on, er, the kind of property-owning democracy which we are trying to give. The Labour Party fought us all the way when we tried to give people who live in Council Houses the right to buy. They'll fight us all the way again. We shall continue it. They fight us all the way on denationalisation when we try to ensure that ordinary people who work in those nationalised industries who work in those industries—and also in places like Scottish and Newcastle—have shares. Our policy is every earner an owner, and so we are replacing that you used to have for cooperation. That is working. Thank you for helping me to get it across.
Colin MacKay, STV
But why are people not turning to you in the proportions they are doing south of the border?
MT
Let me just get across some more of the policies. Labour would bring back the divisions in our society, by repealing the trade union law, to bring back the secondary picketing, it would deprive the ordinary person of an absolute right to a secret ballot which could be challenged before the courts. All of these things they would put back power into the trade union bosses. We don't regard people as block votes. To us each person is an individual. That is why a property-owning democracy we have throughout our time and will continue to bring to the many people the opportunity to have the property, the shares, the savings, which used to be the privilege of the few. I wouldn't be here unless opportunity had been spread more and more widely throughout our society.
Colin MacKay, STV
Mrs Thatcher, your manifesto says you would be willing to consider further change in the good government of Scotland. Would that include an Assembly?
MT
We are always willing to consider what people themselves want, obviously, because that is where our power comes from. Our power comes from the ballot box. It's there in trust for four to five years. But obviously we have to both lead—because by leading you influence—and then also you look at what people themselves want. But I must say to you what I have said to many many other correspondents. The only time we are ever asked about devolution or an assembly is when we are in a gathering of television interviewers and journalists. We are not asked about it at all otherwise and I think—perhaps you may not agree—that if you go down that path what you are really doing is taking steps to separatism. And that I don't think people want. But so far it has not really become an issue and I understood that there was a poll—you tackled me about polls—that only two per cent of the people thought that it was an issue in the election. [end p2]
Colin MacKay, STV
But, if asked, about a third of Conservatives who say yes we would like an Assembly, in the opinion polls.
MT
But look, if people feel strongly about things they usually come to you, you usually get a great correspondence about it, you're usually bombarded with questions. What I am saying is, we haven't had one. And, of course, therefore, in the manifesto it says look, if people really demonstrate that they want something, of course one considers it. That's what democracy is about. But I am saying, we haven't found by our questioning our people, by our letters, that it is an issue.
Colin MacKay, STV
Mrs Thatcher, most unfairly in your view your opponents say that you have helped to destroy the industrial base of Scotland. You have a soft spot for Ravenscraig during the miners' strike.
MT
[Interrupting] It was good to Scotland during the miners' strike …
Colin MacKay, STV
[talking over MT] Can you … can you …
MT
It was good to its workers during the miners' strike.
Colin MacKay, STV
Can you give an assurance that Ravenscraig will remain in production as long as you're in power?
MT
You're asking me to give that guarantee. I cannot give that guarantee. We have to wait until the Steel Corporation comes with its further planning. I would say this to you. We have made STRENUOUS efforts, and will continue to do so, to get more work for Ravenscraig. Ravenscraig is producing now more than it was previously. That is without giving promises, that is the direction in which we are straining to go. I never give promises unless I am CERTAIN I can fulfil them. Yes, you know I have a soft spot for Ravenscraig, because I have an admiration. Yes, that will weigh with me. And, of course, it does affect how soon we could denationalise steel. All of those things will be taken into account. But I cannot just because there's an election on give a promise that I could not otherwise give.
Colin MacKay, STV
So would you … would it be safe under you, in privatisation?
MT
We will strain to keep Ravenscraig because we know how much it means to Scotland. I cannot give you an absolute guarantee. I have very great faith in the Steel [end p3] Corporation. They have done well. I believe they'll continue to do well. We've got to get the business for Ravenscraig. That we will try to do.
Colin MacKay, STV
Prime Minister, thank you very much.
MT
Thank you very much. My pleasure.