Heath insists on his way to a 'better life'

A plain warning to the Conservative Party and to the nation "of the stern task that lies ahead of us" is issued this morning by Mr Edward Heath.

In a foreword to his party's mid-term progress report, Make Life Better, which will be the theme of the Conservative Party Conference this week, he writes: "Our first and foremost priority, overriding all others, must be to put our economic affairs in order."

This warning is to be taken as controlling the pace at which "the forward-looking policies we wish to pursue" can be introduced. The mid-term report is not an election manifesto. Some of the party's research - on the nationalised industries, transport and health, for example - is not yet complete; but, in any case, the manifesto, when it comes, will contain a programme for one Parliament only. The mid-term report covers a long range trend of Tory thinking.

The report does not follow the Powell line in every direction. It embodies Mr Heath's recent East of Suez declaration on British defence policy, and it is far from precise of the degree of denationalisation that a Tory Government would apply. But the party managers feel able to face Mr Powell partly because the mid-term report is said to have been approved individually and collectively by all the members of the Shadow Cabinet and of the party's policy advisory committee.

The party managers feel able to face Mr Powell also because they are to tell the Tories this week that their first task "must be to prepare ourselves for government", not, that is, just for a general election. Mr Powell, however, will hover over Blackpool. Mr Anthony Barber, the party chairman, has commented on the Gallup Poll's rating of Mr Powell as "by far the most popular politician in Britain". Mr Barber said: "To the extent that his popularity stems from his remarks about the colour problem, that is not the sort of popularity that I personally would savour."

Mr Heath attaches great importance to his economic warning in the mid-term report. "We cannot yet tell what situation we will inherit," he writes. "We will take, firmly and promptly, whatever action is required at the time to restore Britain's economy." (The report never suggests that the economy might be more robust, under Labour, when the next election comes, than it is now, or what the political consequences of that might be.)

The report, based on this recognition of "how formidable will be the task confronting us", then deals almost wholly with future domestic policy. Only one page is given to foreign affairs and defence.

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