Heath’s Commonwealth risk

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32458, 19 November 1970, Page 17

Heath’s Commonwealth risk

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, Nov. 18. The British Prime Minister (Mr Edward Heath) was ready to risk breaking up the Commonwealth over the issue of selling arms to South Africa, responsible Government sources said yesterday, United Press International reported. Mr Heath, according to the sources, did not believe it would come to that point. They said that if it carp?

to a showdown at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference at Singapore in mid-January, Mr Heath believes that no more than two of three black African member countries would leave the Commonwealth. He also expected no general move, the sources said, to expel Britain itself from the Commonwealth. But, the sources said, the Prime Minister was convinced it was in Britain’s national interest to resume selling warships and other arms to South Africa’s Simonstown naval base. The previous Labour Party Government halted arms sales.

Mr Heath himself took a firm stand on this and othet foreign and domestic policy issues in a major speech to more than 1000 political, economic and business leaders at the Lord Mayor oi London’s annual banquet this week. A Government spokesman said early yesterday: “A decision has not yet been reached on the supply of equipment to South Africa under the Simonstown agree ment.” However, Mr Heath left no doubt in the minds of his hearers that when consultations with Commonwealth governments were completed, the British Government did plan to go .ahead with re*

sumption of arms sales—probably small warships and other naval equipment. Mr Heath said bluntly that his Conservative Party Government would determine its policies on arms for South Africa, the Middle East, East-West relations, the Common Market and the domestic economy on the basis ol British national interests. “The time has come to establish clearly and unmistakeably that British policies are determined by British interests,” Mr Heath said. “We shall not take a narrow or short-term view of British interests. But having identified where true British interests lie, we shall decide accordingly.”