Mrs T's industrial action
From Mr John Lippitt Sir: Ian Gilmour's review of Margaret Thatcher's biography (Books, 13 May) sug- gests that she 'meekly accepted, or agreed with, the interventionist measures which she later denounced'. These measures enshrined in the 1972 Industry Act were put together by a very small group of peo- ple, excluding most of the Cabinet and not least Mrs Thatcher. The first she heard of them was at a meeting of the legislative committee, chaired by Lord Hailsham, when the future legislative programme was discussed.
I attended this committee in support of Christopher Chataway who had responsibil- ity for the Bill. Mrs Thatcher — I para- phrase — asked when the policies set out in the Bill had been discussed because they were totally contrary to the Conservative party's manifesto. Lord Hailsham replied, correctly, that the job of the legislative committee was not to discuss policy, but merely to decide the timing of the govern- ment's legislation. Mrs Thatcher picked up her papers and left, making it very clear what she thought of the proposals in the Bill. Of course she did not resign — she was too much of a politician for that — but she took no part in these decisions, nor did she meekly accept them.
John Lippitt
Basingstoke, Hampshire
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