Howard Williams, COI
May I ask you how it feels to have set a precedent, to be the first Prime Minister in the 20th Century to achieve three terms of office—three consecutive terms of office?
Prime Minister
Well, I personally am thrilled, obviously. But the real reason I am thrilled is that because everything I believe in—not because of me—because everything I believe in and the Party believes in will be carried forward and we have a good majority to do it; that is the really important thing.
Howard Williams, COI
Why do you think the Conservatives had the edge in this election?
Prime Minister
Because people knew that our policies were achieving the results, that there is a partnership between what Government could do and the response of the people and they realise that we had the forward policies—and we set them out and in detail and I think one of the most thrilling things is the increase in proportion of [end p1] younger people that are voting for us. Therein lies our opportunity for the future.
Howard Williams, COI
One might have expected that employment would have been a very influencing factor on the electorate. It seems from the outcome that defence, for example, was a priority.
Prime Minister
Well, so it should be. If you are not able to defend your liberties then everything else is as nothing.
Howard Williams, COI
What are the Government's priorities for the coming term then?
Prime Minister
We shall in fact bring in some of the radical policies in our manifesto. I am very very anxious that in the first Parliamentary session, which will be a long one of course because it starts in June instead of in November, so we should be able to get in a major bill, not only on the change in the rating system but a major bill on some of our housing policies and a major bill on education. That means that we can start to put those policies into practice in the second year but we have to get the legislation through first.
Howard Williams, COI
Do you see the workload in the coming term being greater than [end p2] in the past?
Prime Minister
The workload is going to be very heavy but you know that people have been trying to get into Parliament; they have succeeded and we must therefore get the legislation through. Yes it might mean some quite late nights but that is what we are here for.
Howard Williams, COI
Do you think the improving position of British economy had any part to play in the outcome of the election?
Prime Minister
A very considerable part in three ways:
first, people felt the increasing standard of living and many of them felt it in the north as well as in the south,
secondly, they knew that you have first, to create the wealth before you can distribute it and, in spite of the propaganda, many of them know that a good deal more is going into the Health Service and also into Social Security,
and thirdly that and our strong line on defence meant that they knew that Britain had a very strong and a newly respected reputation in the world and those things were important. People like to feel they live in a country which is respected throughout the world.
Howard Williams, COI
Do you think the reaction of leaders abroad will be [end p3] favourable to the outcome as well?
Prime Minister
I think that—yes—it will be favourable. I think that they will accept it and some will be very, very pleased and others know that we work together extremely well. You see you do not have to have identical political views to be able to work with other leaders—not at all—and one has shown that. You have to have some things in common with them; that it pays them and their people to work with us and our people to see that there shall never again be any conflict and that means strong defence on both sides. Now that is much better you know than if you have got one party that is not strong negotiating with someone who is strong. You somehow get on better when you have got two strong people. You know you get down then to really what is an issue.
Howard Williams, COI
There has been some concern though that Britain is tying herself more to the interests of America to the detriment of our European partners. How do you see the true relationship of Britain to America and Europe?
Prime Minister
Europe would not now be free but for the action of the United Kingdom in standing alone and for the action of the United States coming in with us to liberate Europe. The thought that there should be any rift between Europe and the United States is ridiculous and unthinkable because anyone who pursues that policy would be reckless [end p4] about the future of liberty and very very foolish—indeed it would be folly and people know that and so does the whole of Europe. Yes of course among friends, sometimes among families all is not all sweetness and light; that is a characteristic of the family but you never question the fundamental relationship and it is the basis of our freedom and justice.
Howard Williams, COI
And can one expect the Third World to have an increased priority in the Government's programme in the years ahead?
Prime Minister
Well you know we discussed the Third World when I was at Venice for the Summit because our own Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, had just taken an initiative and said, “Look, some of the burden of loans, which they have had is to heavy for them, we have got to convert them into grants because they really cannot bear all the interest on them and some of the others we have got to give them a much much longer time to pay and cut the interest rates” and this was a threefold programme which others have taken up. We are already doing it. But it is also to bring hope to that Third World but, you know, we must not treat the Third World ever as just being receiving countries for the food surpluses of Europe; that would be totally wrong. They want their own independence in the sense of economic independence, their own self-respect and to build up their own economies and that is why we have to try to help them to do it. [end p5]
Howard Williams, COI
And what is Britain's position going to be in relation to China for example, in the years ahead?
Prime Minister
Well, I hope excellent. It is very good now, it is very important that it should continue to be so because we came to an agreement together on Hong Kong and Mr Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Government said “one country; two systems” and have given us an undertaking and signed a treaty that the way of life in Hong Kong shall be able to continue—at any rate for some fifty years beyond 1997—after which I know, the thinking of the Chinese Government and people is that the standard of living in China will have been raised enormously then and you know the way they are doing it is by freeing things up because they realise that if you try to control the people then you stop this very enterprising feeling that is there and will come out if you harness it.
Howard Williams, COI
One final question: if you could choose one aspect of your policy which you would most like to achieve in the coming term or succeed in, what would it be?
Prime Minister
It is increasing opportunity for those to whom we have not yet brought it. People are paying very heavily for education. They are not always satisfied with it, particularly in the inner cities. They will have the same amount of money and be able to escape from [end p6] being under the control of those inner cities and so we will bring opportunity. A country gets on by extending its opportunity, its opportunities for ownership, its opportunities for education is the key to opportunity. I would not be here unless I had had two fantastic things in life: marvellous parents and a first class education all under the state system, and I am very very anxious that we should do what we can in that sphere because since we had extreme left-wing council controlling the education, they are not educating the children properly.
Howard Williams, COI
What would you like to see most achieved on the international scene?
Prime Minister
I hope and believe that we shall get, this year, the first agreement actually to reduce nuclear weapons that we have ever had. The SALT agreements, as you know, has restricted the increase. I hope and believe we shall get the first one to reduce it. I hope and believe that we shall go on to get a total reduction—I hope—abolition of chemical weapons out of the Soviet Union. We got rid of ours years ago; they have not yet responded and that they will then bring down their enormous superiority in conventional forces so that we really can get, still keep our security, still safeguard the freedom and justice of our country and they will wish to safeguard their system but we shall be able to do it at the lower level of weapons, but you have to have verifiable agreements, because you know they still have not got the kind of human rights that we have and so as long as people treat, as long as countries treat their people the way the Soviet Union does, you have to look to the precise terms of an agreement. It is going to take much longer to build up trust and confidence and we will only get that if they start to treat their people in accordance with the human rights to which all people are entitled all the world over.