" the Times"newspaper

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 30 November 1978.

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Photo of Patrick Cormack Patrick Cormack , Staffordshire South West 12:00, 30 November 1978

I beg to move, That this House do now adjourn.

Leave having been given on Wednesday 29th November under Standing Order No. 9 to discuss:The crisis in The Times newspaper and its serious consequences. I am sure that the whole House regrets the necessity as much as it welcomes the opportunity to have this debate today. I merely express the hope at the beginning that what is said here will concentrate minds both here and outside on just how crucial to the proper functioning of a democracy a vigorous free press is, and that it must be an undisrupted free press. I hope also that we shall make a positive contribution to resolving some of the difficulties and healing some of the wounds.

I had hoped that, even at the eleventh hour, there would be a real chance that the suspension of The Times might be lifted. But even this morning, 67,000 copies of the paper were lost. Following another disastrous weekend when The Sunday Times lost some 570,000 copies, I am bound to say that I am not altogether surprised. Having recently talked to Mr. Hussey, the managing director, I do not believe there is much chance of his reconsidering the decision without immediate agreement from all the parties, and there is not really time for that, anyhow.

However, I do not think that we meet in an atmosphere of unrelieved gloom. I have spent much of this morning talking to the union leaders involved and I shall try to make my remarks in tune with two of theirs.

I quote Bill Keys, of SOGAT. He said"Now is not the time for bashing management or unions." I agree with that. When I was talking to Owen O'Brien of NATSOPA, he said"It is important that we treat this as an industrial and not as a political dispute." I hope that we can do that, too.

It is important that we should separate the shepherds from the flocks. The union leaders with whom we are here concerned for the most part are moderate, sensible, honourable men. My conversations with them this morning were extremely helpful. I believe that they are entirely sincere in their desire to see this unfortunate business resolved as soon as possible.

Of course, that is not to say that many of those who belong to their flocks behave as the shepherds would wish; they would be the first to admit that. Even when we look at Mr. Joe Wade, the leader of the NGA, with whom I also had a very interesting conversation, we see that he is not an intransigent firebrand or militant. Therefore, it is very important that those on the Opposition Benches resist any temptation to confuse the leaders with the led, whereas on the Government Benches it is very important that the sincerity and integrity of the management of The Times be accepted. That does not mean that on either side we have to agree with all that has been said or done by either of the parties. It is a question of good faith and honesty prevailing, and I see a real chance of an early resumption if not a lifting of the suspension if only we can meet and discuss matters in that spirit.

However many reservations we may have about the management's handling of this matter—and I have some myself—it is not a case of it attacking the unions. I believe genuinely that Mr. Hussey and his colleagues mean it when they say that they want strong trade union leaders with whom to negotiate—men who can deliver, who can make agreements and ensure that they are honoured. Equally, I agree with one of the union leaders to whom I was talking, who said that they want strong managements which can manage and with which they can negotiate. He made it plain that he was not endorsing all the methods. No one would have expected him to do so. Equally, he made it plain that he applauded the sentiments of the letter of 26th April, which really began this wholly sorry saga.

We are dealing with a dispute that has been precipitated by reckless, militant unofficial union action. The facts are horrifying. I refer to the letter of 26th April, when, writing to the leaders of the various unions concerned, Mr. Hussey pointed out that In the first quarter of 1978 we lost 7.7 million copies—a staggering 20 per cent. of the total output. The effect has been, and continues to be disastrous. First, the Company has lost £1,750,000 in profit so far this year. This is equivalent to the total profit of 1977—easily the best year Times Newspapers has ever had. The position today, of course, is very much worse. Since then, a further 5.3 million copies have been lost. The total loss of profit is £2.9 million. Since 26th April, 89 per cent. of the copies lost have been as a result of the unofficial action taken by Saturday night staff—some of those who sign in as"Micky Mouse"and the rest of it; we have all read the stories—on The Sunday Times.

By any standards, this is a desperate situation, and one can only welcome the determination of management to do something about it. It is very significant that all the trade union leaders have in their various ways at different times welcomed that determination. I am not seeking to suggest that they have endorsed all the methods, but they have welcomed the determination.

Whatever criticism one may have—perhaps of the wording of certain letters, perhaps of the timing of certain meetings, perhaps of the inability to come together with NATSOPA as quickly as that union would have liked, which are valid points of criticism—I do not think that we should allow it to blind us to the fact that the determination is one that can only serve everyone who believes in a free press.