Young Tories
Mrs Thatcher, who has come in for a good deal of unmerited criticism as a result of the changes she has made at Conservative Central Office, need not be greatly disturbed by the outburst which has just come from Mr Tony Kreppel, the new chairman of the Young Conservatives organisation. The fundamental point of Mr Kreppel's criticism, which is quite in tune with the outpourings of the more hysterical Young Conservatives in recent years, was that the new leader of the party had failed to appoint a sufficient number of specialist Shadow Ministers in supposedly sensitive political areas, notably housing. But the truth is that, for far too long, political leaders in both parties have appointed special spokesmen or ministers in response to the special pleading of practically every lobby that sets itself up. Mrs Thatcher's most important task is to redefine the general policy and direction of the Conservative Party: she will not be helped in this crucial task by confusion about aims or interests such as would be produced by pandering to special interests through the creation of largely meaningless shadow offices.