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Reagan Won’t Aid Thatcher in Vote: Kinnock

Associated Press

President Reagan, who has had close ties with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, pledged today to avoid interfering in her favor in future elections, Thatcher’s chief opponent said.

Neil Kinnock, leader of the Labor Party, told reporters that during a 30-minute meeting, Reagan “said that we obviously have no wish at all to involve ourselves or interfere in any way with the British elections.”

“I didn’t ask the question, it was volunteered by the President,” Kinnock said.

Since Reagan took office in 1981, he and Thatcher have met frequently to talk about world affairs and Kinnock has accused Britain’s leader of blindly following Reagan’s international policies.

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‘Special Relationship’

“I think there is a special relationship there,” Kinnock said. Asked to describe his relations with Reagan, Kinnock said, “Very friendly.”

The British visitor also said he was encouraged by recent U.S.-Soviet moves toward an agreement to eliminate medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.

He said he left his meeting with Reagan feeling “there is a genuine commitment to secure nuclear arms reduction. I think that commitment is entirely sincere.”

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Earlier, Kinnock predicted that Thatcher will call elections this spring or summer to prevent her people from discovering the “awful” economic woes threatening Britain.

‘Awful Economic News Coming’

Kinnock said on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” that “toward the back end of this year, the beginning of next year, there’s some pretty awful economic news coming in Britain . . . and she’s got to go to the country before that becomes too clear.”

Kinnock said he would rather have an election as soon as possible. Kinnock’s party is trailing in the polls, behind Thatcher’s Conservative Party, which is in first place, and the second-place Centrist Alliance.

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Kinnock denied he had come to the United States to lay the ground for election campaigning, saying the visit had been planned months before talk of early balloting began.

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