Ballot rigging
The Government's defeat in the House of Lords last week over the issue of compulsory postal ballots in union elections was a characteristic minor example of Mrs Thatcher's style of government. The Employment minister, Mr Tom King, found his attempts to compromise with the unions on the issue opposed by Lord Beloff, chair- man of the Conservative Research Depart- ment Advisory Board, and by many other Tories. The efforts of Lords Whitelaw and Denham failed to whip enough of their own side or of Labour, which in this case was with the Government. Or rather, with Mr King; for it was said the next day that the Prime Minister had wanted Mr King's side to be beaten. Attempts by some of her staff to deny this rumour were overtaken by a pronouncement apparently from the Prime Minister that the rumour was true. One would have thought that trouble could have been saved if Mrs Thatcher had tried to get the question sorted out with Mr King before it came to a debate and a defeat in the Lords.
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