U.K. “ready to compromise’

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 9

U.K. “ready to compromise’

t NZPA-Reuter London , The British Prime Minister ’ (Mrs Margaret Thatcher) has ' told Parliament that she is prepared to compromise; t ,with other Common Market » leaders in the row over BritNish contributions to the j Community. . Reporting to the House of ’ Commons on last week’s: ’■stormy Market summit] ; meeting in Dublin, Mrs: t Thatcher came under attack (from anti-Market politicians I for failing to persuade the [ Community to slash $2260M .off the British contribution. At first, she claimed the . Market offer to reduce the by S7BOM was

totally inadequate and noth- ;■ ing like enough. “If others will show they; are willing I am ready to do ; the same in the search for a; ;genuine compromise. 1 left; 'our partners in no doubt; ; that my room for manoeuvre, was limited,” she added. Later, defending herself; under fierce questioning, the ; Prime Minister infuriated Labour Party opponents by ] claiming the Market offer of a S7BOM reduction was “not bad for a start.” The Opposition leader, James Callaghan, said Mrs Thatcher had returned from . Dublin empty-handed and he demanded that she spell out

ihow far she would com-; promise. The Prime Minister dodIged the question by saying a: ■period of intensive diplomat-; iic activity lay ahead before' .; another Market summit in .the New Year tries to settle :the row. She totally rejected ( Labour Parliamentarians’ deI mands for British withdrawal from the Community but ' said that if no settlement : was reached Britain had two possibilities. These were withholding ; British contributions or disrupting Market business, the 1 Prime Minister said. ' The British Agriculture: : Minister (Mr Peter Walker;!

has said that his attitude to ’his Common Market colleagues had not been altered’ iby the failure of last week’s; ■Market summit meeting to meet British demands for ■ budget reform. Mr Walker told reporters j 'his attitude to today’s meet-] ing of Fisheries Ministers; was positive. “We’ve been a; positive voice right the way through — this is no change of policy,” he added. Mr Walker said he would be pressing for more frequent meetings of Fisheries Ministers in the hope of working out a Community policy by the end of next : year.