Poll-trailing Tories back Brittan

Press, 18 January 1986, Page 10

Poll-trailing Tories back Brittan

NZPA-Reuter London The British Conservatives yesterday rallied round the industry Secretary Mr Leon Brittan, after fresh testimony that he tried to force a top British firm to pull out of a rescue bid for the Westland helicopter-mak-er.

Mr Brittan, under pressure to resign following suggestions that he tried to block a European rescue plan for Westland, won a reprieve on Thursday evening when the House of Commons voted down an Opposition demand to establish a committee of inquiry. Shortly afterwards the chief executive of British Aerospace Sir Raymond Lygo, gave further details of a conversation in which he said Mr Brittan told him his company’s participation

would not be in the national interest.

The Westland board backs an American-led rescue package. Political sources said that the Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher, herself under fire over the fate of Britain’s only helicoptermaker, could not afford to lose Mr Brittan so soon after the resignation last week of the Defence Secretary Mr Michael Heseltine. The normally pro-Govern-ment newspaper, “The Times” said yesterday that Mrs Thatcher’s speech in the Commons debate “did not suggest that she has grasped the importance of what is . going on.” An opinion poll in the conservative “Daily Telegraph” newspaper indicated voter support . for the Thatcher Government had

slumped to its lowest level since 1980.

The poll put the Conservatives in third place, with 29.5 per cent popular support, after the Alliance of Social Democrats and Liberals and the Labour Party. Sir Raymond gave fresh details of his crucial meeting with Mr Brittan within hours of the Minister winding up a six-hour debate in Parliament on Westland. With Mr Heseltine’s backing British Aerospace took the lead in a fournation European consortium seeking a share in Westland. The board of the finan-cially-troubled firm nevertheless" favours a rival rescue package from Sikorsky, of the United States, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, and Italy’s Fiat.

Westland shareholders vote on the Sikorsky deal today. It requires the support of 75 per cent of shareholder votes. Mr Brittan has insisted throughout the crisis, and again in his speech to Parliament that he had maintained a Government policy of even-handedness, leaving Westland to decide its own fate. Mr Heseltine said on radio yesterday that he backed Sir Raymond’s version of events against that of Mr Brittan.

A Conservative member of Parliament, Teddy Taylor, yesterday proposed that the best way to resolve the matter was for the House of Commons Defence Committee to question, under oath, Sir Raymond, Mr Brittan and four officials present at the meeting.

Mr Brittan brushed off speculation he would resign and told reporters: “I am quite content with the job I’m doing now.”

Government sources said he was congratulated on his speech by Mrs Thatcher and Cabinet colleagues at a late meeting at her official Downing Street residence. The Transport Minister, Mr Nicholas Ridley, went on the attack against Mr Heseltine, accusing him of “a gross betrayal of his loyalty to his colleagues”. Mrs Thatcher fold the House of Commons yesterday during further questions on the Westland affair, that she backed Mr Brittan’s account of the meeting with Sir Raymond. “Both accounts are out. I fully accept that Mr Brittan’s account is correct,” she said.