DIARY OF THE YEAR
Thursday July 15: The CBI is to ask nicely 200 firms to hold price rises to 5 per cent or less for the next year. In return for price restriction, it expects reflation from the Government and restraint from the unions. Malta's one-man-band PM, after cancelling Lord Carrington's visit there yesterday, calmed down and rang up the FO. Our breezy PM brushed aside criticisms of his yachting activities in the Commons.
Friday July 16: President Nixon broadcast to Americans yet again, but this time, hey presto, he is to go to Peking before May. Successfully fooling the press with the ' diplomatic illness' chesnut, his envoy, Dr Kissinger, had flown to China to make arrangements with Chou En-lai. The Opposition withdrew from Stormont according to plan, Lord Carrington is off to Malta after all and Mr Feather said hello to Mr Barber at the Treasury.
Saturday July 17: Everyone watched while Mr Wilson shut his eyes, held his breath and jumped off the proverbial fence to land in the anti-Market field; nevertheless, the Labour Party special conference was not really a sidesplitter after all as no vote on EEC entry was taken. Gunmen bombed a printing press in Belfast and police chased hippies in Ibiza. Someone in Cornwall drank sixty-five pints of beer in an hour and Mr Nixon invited Mr Heath to California later this summer.
Sunday July 18: After recent heavy fighting between Jordanian troops and Palestinian guerrillas, Iraq is to close its border with Jordan. Britain and China are talking about exchanging ambassadors instead of mere charges d'affaires. Our cheerful Chancellor did the ' knees-bend ' and signed his autograph in St James's Park before his economic statement tomorrow. A German woman was fined for having an abortion in London; so was her husband for aiding and abetting her.
Monday July 19: Mr Barber cut purchase tax by 18 per cent and abolished hire purchase controls in another attempt to reflate the economy and reduce price rises. Mr Jenkins refused to be shifted from his pro-Market dugout — if anything he is more firmly entrenched than before. Hard on Mr Nixon's heels, Mr Healey is to visit Peking next April. There was another military coup in the Sudan and Lord Astor of Hever died in Cannes.
'Tuesday July 20: A seething Mr Wilson told the Parliamentary Labour Party what veritably naughty MPs they were being over the Market question; he wanted unity and was going to have it. Teachers got 10 per cent more pay and Lord Carrington got almost nowhere in his Malta talks. Our noble peers at last finished talking about the Industrial Relations Bill.
Wednesday July 21: Lord Carrington returned from Malta with the news that the gap between the countries was still very wide. The Government announced that it was going to take up with the Dutch their plan to dump chemicals off the coast of Ireland. The debate on Britain's entry to the EEC opened in Parliament.
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