Margaret Thatcher on Socialism

Mr. Hughes

There is no doubt that the Prime Minister, in many
ways, has achieved substantial success. There is one statistic,
however, that I understand is not challenged, and that is that, during
her 11 years as Prime Minister, the gap between the richest 10 per
cent. and the poorest 10 per cent. in this country has widened
substantially. At the end of her chapter of British politics, how can
she say that she can justify the fact that many people in a
constituency such as mine are relatively much poorer, much less well
housed and much less well provided for than they were in 1979? Surely
she accepts that that is not a record that she or any Prime Minister
can be proud of.

The Prime Minister

People on all levels of income are better off than they
were in 1979. The hon. Gentleman is saying that he would rather that
the poor were poorer, provided that the rich were less rich. That way
one will never create the wealth for better social services, as we
have. What a policy. Yes, he would rather have the poor poorer,
provided that the rich were less rich. That is the Liberal policy.

The Prime Minister

I think that the hon. Gentleman knows that I have the
same contempt for his socialist policies as the people of east Europe,
who have experienced them, have for theirs. I think that I must have
hit the right nail on the head when I pointed out that the logic of
those policies is that they would rather the poor were poorer. Once
they start to talk about the gap, they would rather that the gap were
that—[indicating[—down here, not this—[indicating[—but—[indicating.]
So long as the gap is smaller, they would rather have the poor poorer.
One does not create wealth and opportunity that way. One does not
create a property-owning democracy that way.