Doorstep Interview with Jill Morrell – 27 February 1991

Below is a doorstep interview given by Jill Morrell, from the Friends of John McCarthy, after meeting the Prime Minister in London on Wednesday 27th February 1991.

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[Quality of recording very poor, some parts missing]

QUESTION:

Did Mr Major give you any grounds for optimism or hope?

MISS MORRELL:

Mr Major was very reassuring [inaudible] but he had nothing concrete to tell us, we did ask him for our points of view to be high on the agenda in the [inaudible] over the next few weeks.

QUESTION:

What more do you think he should be doing?

MISS MORRELL:

We just asked that they make sure that hostages are high on the agenda in any talks that do take place between Syria and [inaudible] and that they redouble their efforts to these governments to make sure that the hostages come home. But what we really wanted was [inaudible] and we do not actually have that yet.

QUESTION:

Are you optimistic that he will be home?

MISS MORRELL:

Not any more so really, no, but we do hope that the government will keep their promise to make sure that hostages are high on the agenda.

QUESTION:

Do you feel that there is any more that people in this country should be doing?

MISS MORRELL:

I think if they carry on sending postcards and the letters to their MPs and to [inaudible] and the Foreign Secretary then governments will not be allowed to forget the hostages.

QUESTION:

And do you think that the hostages there will be aware of it?

MISS MORRELL:

I think they may be aware of it, they may not, they hear very little about what is going on in the outside world. The only time they will be aware of what has been done for them is when they are actually released.

QUESTION:

How long has John been held hostage?

MISS MORRELL:

It will be five years on 17 April.

QUESTION:

[Inaudible]

MISS MORRELL:

We were very glad that he made it out and it does show that the governments do have to [inaudible].