Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview (I) – 22 February 1991

Below is the text of Mr Major’s first doorstep interview on Friday 22nd February 1991, held in London outside 10 Downing Street. Parts of this transcript are missing where the dialogue was indistinct.

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PRIME MINISTER:

[Indistinct] They are certainly an improvement on any proposals we have seen before but they still seem to fall a significant way short of the United Nations Resolutions and they do appear, on the basis of the analysis we have done thus far, to have some very significant deficiencies in them.

The other important point, I think, is that it is not yet remotely clear whether the Iraqis accept these or are unlikely to do so. We have spent some time already analysing those proposals; that work will continue later on this morning and we will, of course, be in contact with the rest of our Allies. We will have a meeting later on this afternoon with colleagues and may have more to say at that stage.

That is all I have to say for the moment.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

QUESTION:

Can you tell us in what way you think these proposals are lacking?

PRIME MINISTER:

Not at this moment, no, but perhaps later that will become apparent.

QUESTION:

Have you been speaking to President Bush….

PRIME MINISTER:

We have been in touch with the United States and I will be speaking to the President later.

QUESTION:

There is no mention of the Palestinian issue, Sir, in the new proposals.

PRIME MINISTER:

I am not going to discuss the proposals at this stage.

QUESTION:

[Inaudible]

PRIME MINISTER:

We will have to wait and see what happens later on today. They are well short of the United Nations Resolutions and they do have significant deficiencies in them; those significant deficiencies will have to be rectified but we will need to analyse them later on today and we will be meeting later on today to do so.

QUESTION:

[Inaudible]

PRIME MINISTER:

We are analysing them and examining them. At the moment they are not good enough. We will have to see what happens later on today.

QUESTION:

[Indistinct] Prime Minister, that it might split the international alliance against Iraq?

PRIME MINISTER:

No, I do not believe that will happen. Thank you all very much indeed!