MT
I am sorry Nigel Lawson has gone. We worked together for years and he has so many enormous achievements to his credit—economy, and with the tax reductions he made in his restructuring of the taxation system. They will stand as an excellent monument to his six years at the Treasury. We now have two very experienced ministers as the head of the departments—now at the Treasury. John Major of course was a cabinet minister at the Treasury before, is now Chancellor …
Journalist
Prime Minister …
MT
He's experienced in that department. The new David WaddingtonHome Secretary, the Chief Whip, was a Minister of State at the Home Office, again very experienced in the department—he becomes Home Secretary. And, of course, Douglas Hurd was the Minister of State at the Foreign Office and now leads in the Foreign Office. So we have three very experienced ministers there and the policies will continue precisely as they were so we shall have complete continuity.
Journalists
all speaking together
Prime Minister … Mrs Thatcher … Have you made a mess of things, Prime Minister? … [plaintively as MT walks off] … Prime Minister … Are you going to raise interest rates today? … Mrs Thatcher …