P.M. prepares to defend reputation

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 10

P.M. prepares to defend reputation

NZPA-AP London The British Prime Mini Ister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, whose reputaition for integrity is rarely questioned even by her toughest critics, is preparing to defend herself against sharp thrusts from Iler political opponents. The resignation on Friday of the second member of her Cabinet in two weeks left Mrs Thatcher in what commentators called the worst political crisis of her 6>/ 2 years in office.

She cancelled a planned week-end at Chequers, the country home of British prime ministers, to work at her No. 10 Downing St office.

She recorded a ques-tion-and-answer session with a panel of journalists to be televised today and prepared for an emergency debate in the House of Commons tomorrow called by the Labour Party, whose leaders scented a chance to hound Mrs Thatcher out of office. She also consulted over a replacement for Leoh Brittan, who resigned as Trade and Industry Secretary on Friday, and named Paul Channon, Mr Brittan’s deputy, to the post.

Mr Brittan’s departure left Mrs Thatcher in what most British newspapers called an isolated position. Mr Brittan on January 6 disclosed to reporters a letter that proved damaging to a Cabinet colleague, Michael Heseltine, who resigned three days later as Defence Secretary and immediately accused Mrs Thatcher and Mr Brittan of discrediting him.

Mrs Thatcher revealed to Parliament only on Thursday that Brittan had leaked the letter with authorisation from her own office, though she said she had not been consulted on the leak.

It is being asked what did she know about the leak and when did she know it during the 16-day gap between the letter’s publication and her report to Parliament.

“The deception is not in doubt,” said Roy Hattersley, deputy leader of the Labour Party. “The crucial question is, for how long was the prime minister actively and intentionally deceiving the country?” He said , that Mrs Thatcher would be tried tomorrow in the House of Commons, and he told a trade union rally, “it is her conduct which is on trial, her honesty which is in doubt, her word, which we can no longer accept without proof.” Throughout her political career Mrs Thatcher has had a scrupulous reputation for integrity, acknowledged even by liberal critics who fault her conservative economic and social nolicies.

• Forty-three per cent of British voters think that Mrs Thatcher should resign, according to a poll published in “The Observer.”

The survey, conducted by the Harris Institute on Friday — when Mr Brittan resigned —, said that 48 per cent wanted Mrs Thatcher to stay on. In considering the Westland affair three out of four had said she had not acted correctly.

Over all the Conservative Party was second, with 31 per cent of the vote, behind Labour’s 36 per cent. The centrist Social Democrat-Liberal Alliance was supported by 30 per cent the survey said.