Interviewer
How hard have you fought for Britain at this Summit?
Prime Minister
Very hard, as usual. I did not want us to be curtailed in any way by resolutions here and we are not.
Interviewer
And do you consider that you have made some great concessions from the other countries here?
Prime Minister
Concessions, no. I think what we have done is to forge a way ahead which does not depend precisely on the Delors Report but which says that that is one basis for considering what may happen but we must also consider others. [end p1]
We have accepted Stage 1, which is right, we have to do the things in Stage 1 anyway for other reasons, other parts of the Treaty. But we could not possibly ourselves accept Stage 2 and Stage 3 and I think that we are going to see that there are other versions, other possibilities that are put in for consideration as well.
Interviewer
Stage 2 and 3 go towards a single European currency, much of Europe wants a single currency, why do you not?
Prime Minister
Because Stage 2 and 3 mean transferring many quite fundamental powers from the British Parliament, to be decided by a group of something like twelve people who are not accountable democratically at all. Many of your budgetary powers decided by these twelve men, not publicly accountable, many of your monetary powers, many of your economic powers. Now that just will not suit the British Parliament, just will not.
Interviewer
Surely for true unity you have to give up some powers? [end p2]
Prime Minister
I think you are very very unwise to give up those powers which lie at the heart of your Parliamentary system. Ours is the mother of Parliaments. When I travel round Europe the Parliament does not have anything like the same central part in their system as ours does and that explains a great deal.
When I went to the Spanish Parliament and spoke to many many leaders of the opposition there, about eleven of them, and at the end each of them had his say and asked me questions, and at the end of it they said: “Thank you very much for coming Mrs Thatcher, it is a great pleasure to be able to question a Prime Minister” . So I said: “But I am in my own Parliament twice a week, is your Prime Minister not here?” “Oh no, our Parliament does not work that way” .
So you see our Parliament is central and that may be as one of our strengths.
Interviewer
You have been in conflict with many of the countries here over many issues. Do you see Europe as a case of them and us?
Prime Minister
Not in any way. We have been very foremost in Europe in doing certain things, in getting the Common Agricultural Policy sorted out, in getting a fair deal as far as finance is concerned and also because we joined Europe to get a common market, to have a large market of 320 million people and we have been foremost in trying to propel that forward. [end p3]
But we are often much faster on trying to get the freeing up measures agreed than other countries are.
Interviewer
Why then is it so often the case of Britain against the rest?
Prime Minister
But in this case, part of the time it was other countries who took the isolated role, not me in any way. But I am just not going to let Britain's voice be obscured. I do not mind being isolated. Many is the time I have been isolated, for example on what is called a tax on savings, a withholding tax, we were absolutely isolated in refusing it and we fought and we fought and we fought and we won and we won because our arguments were valid and well presented.
You frequently find I must tell you at this Summit they talk in great big generalities while we discuss the particular issues.
Interviewer
Has your defeat at the recent Euro-election lessened your credibility here in Europe?
Prime Minister
Not in any way. Many of them in power also suffered similar defeats. [end p4]
As far as we were concerned, those who took a larger share of the vote are far less committed to Europe than we are.
Interviewer
In the lead-up to this Summit much was made by the Government of Britain being able to boast industrial peace but with one million workers in Britain this summer either having taken industrial action or threatening to do so, is that not a serious blow to you?
Prime Minister
If you look at the actual results up to the end of April this year you will find that we had fewer days lost at work than we have had for a very very long time. May I point out that some of those days that are lost, days that are lost on the underground, on the British Railway, in the Passport Office, are all people in the public sector not caring at all for those whom they serve, not caring at all about how their fellow citizens are going to get to work, or how old aged pensioners are going to go and collect their pension, not caring at all for people who want to go abroad on business or on holiday, having a passport?
It is the task of people to serve other citizens and it was very interesting in the Social Charter here which we voted against and therefore it did not go through, had not a single duty in it, all rights, not a single duty. Never once did it say that people really have a duty to keep essential services going. That tells you something does it not? [end p5]
Interviewer
But you disagreed with the Social Charter and disagreed with the other countries. There seems to be some feeling around Europe that you are quite happy to make a fast buck out of Europe, but when it comes to guaranteeing rights for ordinary people and helping ordinary people then you are not so keen?
Prime Minister
Absolute nonsense. We have agreed to the European Council of Europe, which is the larger Europe of seventeen countries, Social Charter and ratified it. Some of those who criticise me have not even ratified that one. That is a good solemn declaration, the latest amendement which was made in 1988. We agreed to that, we operate it.
And what is more, I brought my social policy here, an excellent document which sets out everything that we have. Of course it is way way ahead of what some other people and of course some of them have things, like Germany have things, which are ahead of us.
But no-one can accuse us of not having a social dimension and a very good social policy and it has been so much better during the lifetime of this Government.
Interviewer
Finally, do you see that the Summit has paved the way for a fully integrated Europe, a fully united Europe in the future? [end p6]
Prime Minister
No I do not believe it has, nor should it. What we want is a Europe of nations steadily, voluntarily, working together because they want to work together on things which they can do better together than separately, but not being forced.
That is why in all practical measures we tend to be way ahead of some of those who talk most loudly. We do the practical things but I am afraid that they do all of the general talking but are slower on agreeing the actual tactical response.
Interviewer
But you are happy with the outcome?
Prime Minister
I am very happy with the outcome, yes.