§ Q3. Mr. Molloyasked the Prime Minister when he will next meet the TUC and CBI.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 10th November.
§ Mr. MolloyWhen my right hon. Friend meets the CBI and the TUC, will he spell out in some detail the contributions and sacrifices made by ordinary working people through their trade unions in the fight against inflation, in contrast to the Conservative Party by its vote last night and its attitude to the Prices Bill? Will he particularly challenge the CBI 1177 to state where it stands? The attitude of the Tory Party seems to be to punish working people by increased prices because they put the national interest first.
§ The Prime MinisterIt is true that the decisions taken by the trade unions and their members over the past three years, including the 12-month rule that they voluntarily adopted this year, have helped to reduce inflation substantially, but have reduced the standard of life. I am glad to say that in the fourth quarter of 1977 the standard of life of the British people, for the first time for some time—[Interruption.]—since 1975—began to improve and will continue to improve. That will continue during 1978, so I shall certainly take the opportunity of spelling it out on every occasion.
We all know what the Tory attitude is. Indeed, I was wondering this morning whether I could possibly devise, in addition to the retail price index, the TPI—or Tory Party index—to be published every month to indicate the result of the Tory Party's vote last night.
§ Mr. Charles MorrisonWhen the Prime Minister next meets the TUC, will he explain one of the realities of the present unemployment situation—namely, that our unemployment is now worse, according to a recent parliamentary answer, than it is in France, West Germany, Italy and the United States? Can he say why that is?
§ The Prime MinisterIf one went back a decade, one would find that unemployment in this country has usually been higher than that of the Federal Republic or of France because the causes are deep-seated. But we are now overcoming that. I am glad to say that the country has shed much of the belief that there is some magic key that can be turned to make this country competitive with others. I believe that both sides of industry now understand what needs to be done and, what is more, that they are turning their attention to doing what is necessary. I hope that I carry the Conservatives with me on that, because that is the way to overcome unemployment.