Meanwhile in this video Geoffrey Howe says he never supported "managed decline" for Liverpool.

Comments

[Andrew Smith]

Unfortunately Heseltine's solution was yet more socialism for the City, a City made great by free enterprise and brought low by trades unions and excessive local government.

Such a solution is no solution as the people of that City must now recognise.

[MG]

Saw the bizzare BBC item today in which they take one comment (which actually wasn't followed anyway) and try to make yet another negative story. It followed on another piece based on a Labour survey of care charges which they tried to pin on the Govt but had to admit hadn't been addressed by the previous Govt either. Maybe the Labour spin machine has been active today.

[We the People]

Hezza did the right thing in 1981, I am puzzled by those who claim to be rightwing and think that Liverpool and the area around it should be left to rot. There are too many trolls and leftwing propogadists around.

I noticed the BBC jumped on these alleged comments! The point being, any place that has potential can be turned around if people have the confidence to do something about it! Since 1981 BBC/Labour say little about success in the area!

Liverpool has alot going for it, there are some dodgy elements but they are the minority - it can revive itself and do well as the country looks east and west again instead of at europe. The only problem might be the motivation of some folk to work but benefit and incentive changes can create a new future.

[We the People]

The Tories should be challanging the BBC rubish everyday - they had a piece on "Miliband warned about 'Tory trap' " since XMAS.

The BBC are a leftwing organisation that puts out labour progoganda 24/27!

We today have: Margaret Thatcher was urged to abandon Liverpool to "managed decline" by her chancellor Geoffrey Howe after the Toxteth riots, cabinet files reveal, though Lord Howe says his letter was misunderstood.

Yet, this "advice was never followed through" - the policies that were highligthed by the BBC never happened. The BBC are guilty of peddling a political agenda in breach of the BBC trust.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Yes I think the Labour spin machine has been very busy today, because even ITV has been putting the socialist spin on it since the more middle-of-the-road report by quite a new newscaster at lunchtime.

The later reports each had Mr. Derek Hatton saying that the Tories NEVER gave any money to Liverpool!!!!!!! Perhaps what he really meant was, the money that was given to Liverpool - which Mr. Heseltine mentioned - was given in such a way that MR. Hatton couldn't get HIS hands on it!

[Red Rag]

I do like the way Lord Howe says he didn't support the "managed decline" of Liverpool. Despite it being in his own words, in his own letter written byr...err...himself.Also he knew how controversial it was because he mentions he could not even say it in private.

He is now making the issue rumble on by saying he didn't mean it, why not just hold his hands up and admit it?

Or is that just too much to ask?

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

Heseltine's role after the Liverpool riots is well documented. Being alive and politically aware at the time I can well remember his involvement and stance on these events.

Now did or did not Howe make these remarks about leaving Liverpool to "managed decline"? If he didn't then some person or organisation is defaming him. Howe is a lawyer and knows the remedies available to him in Court.

If however he DID say or write this then he has to stand by his words.

I cannot see how such an alledged statement can be spun to any positive meaning, but I am sure that some will try.

[Anon R]

No one mentions that there has not been a solitary Tory Councillor in Liverpool for many years ! The Tories didn't abandon Liverpool, Liverpool abandoned the Tories !
I would suggest that it is largely because the city was Liberal Democrat led that such massive changes have taken place - it is thanks to people like Trevor Jones and Lord Mike Storey that such progress has been made !

[Nathan James]

The tories fortunes in liverpool declined in the 80's for a number of reasons. There was a significant population decline with large numbers of tory voters moving away from liverpool. Others who stayed started to vote for the liberal democrats in fairly large numbers, especially in the wealthier areas of south liverpool (Woolton, Allerton, Childwall etc).

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

Nor any Tory MPs either! I think the old Wavertree seat was the last one and its MP Anthony Steen went to a seat in the West Country. The new Moseley Hill seat was Lib-Dem for a while but now all the Liverpool Seats are Labour.

[Allan]

Martin,

Totally agree....if Lord Howe did right those words he should have the spine to say, "Yes at the time, in the context of events, I said that...." or consult m'learned friends and issue a writ...presuming it is possible to issue a writ against HMG for releasing papers that he in fact wrote.

I don't blame Lord Howe for his views but given how clear the language he used was...for him to try and deny it is pathetic.

[Allan]

PS,

The fact that is causing uproar is that a Minister of the Crown, a very senior Minister at that, positively advocated the decline of a major city within the United Kingdom.

Nothing Lord Howe can say changes that fact. By luck or good judgement (your choice) for one reason or another HMG decided not to implement his suggestion.

This was of course the same HMG that over saw the rapid and massive de-industrialisation of the UK. A fact that current members of the HoC complain about when they compare how well German industry has done with a little help from ther government in comparison to our manufacturing sector.

[Xtreme No]

There are too many trolls and leftwing propogadists around. I noticed the BBC jumped on these alleged comments! The point being, any place that has potential can be turned around if people have the confidence to do something about it! Since 1981 BBC/Labour