Conservatives Might Alter U.K. Policy On Asia

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31596, 6 February 1968, Page 1

Conservatives Might Alter U.K. Policy On Asia

Lord Carrington, leader of the Conservative Opposition in the House of Lords, hopes that the British withdrawal from bases east of Suez will be reversed “when my party wins the next election.”

Visiting New Zealand as chairman of the Australia and New Zealand Bank, Lord Carrington said he was on record as saying that the withdrawal was wholly wrong and wholly unnecessary. He said he was very confident that the Conservatives would win the next election, and seemed astounded that anyone should question it. “Good God, man, have you been there recently?” he asked. He said a public opinion poll last week gave the Conservative Party a lead of 18) per cent “If the election was held now there would be a landslide,” said Lord Carrington. However, he did not think Britain’s economic situation was too depressing. “The difficulties are marginal,” he said. “England is still a very

rich country indeed and a slight adjustment would put us on the right road again. “We are also bankers for the sterling area and one of the really important things we have to do is to restore foreigners’ confidence in the country.

“The Government can do this by being resolute in making devaluation a success. There will be no need to devalue further if the Government takes the right measures and does the right things,” he said.