Portrait of the week
Mr Rupert Murdoch once again an- nounced his intention of closing The Times and Sunday Times unless overmann- ing was cut by 600 — about a quarter of the workforce. The rail strike continued, doing little damage to anyone except British Rail which was said to be considering the sale of its remaining hotels and Sealink ferries. Mr Ray Buckton claimed that power workers might come out in sympathy. Power workers in the GMWU rejected a seven per cent pay offer, pressing for 12 per cent and shorter hours. Laker Airways collapsed with debts of £270 million after the Govern- ment declined to save it from the Official Receiver. Sir Freddie Laker emerged as a national hero, with collections being taken for him all over the country. Mr Jeremy Thorpe was appointed Director of Amnesty International in Britain.
President Reagan tackled a large budget deficit by cuts in the expanding welfare bill. While the United States continued to regale itself with televised accounts of the Claus von Bulow trial in Newport, Rhode Island, Britain joined the US in applying sanctions against the Polish military regime. These took the form of restrictions on the movements of diplomats and tighter credit. Mr Alexander Haig pledged massive aid to a free Poland. Bobby Sands, the IRA ter- rorist and suicide, was appointed honorary grand marshal of the St Patrick's Day Parade next month in New York.
The 30th anniversary of the Queen's ac- cession was marked by tributes from Sir Harold Wilson and Mr James Callaghan. The Princess of Wales fell downstairs at Sandringham. Princess Marie Astrid mar- ried a foreign gentleman in Luxemburg.
In the world of politics, the SDP voted to support Mr Tebbit's Employment Bill, but only 17 of them did so. Five abstained and five voted against, including Mr John Grant, the party's expert on industrial rela- tions. Mr Denis Healey compared the SDP to weasels in a sack. Mr Frank Hooley (Heeley) was dropped by Mr Healey's party in Heeley. Ladbrokes quoted Mr Roy Jenkins as the most likely next Prime Minister at 9-4, before, Thatcher at 11-4 and w Foot at 4-I. Benn was offered at 40-1. However, two days later opinion polls showed that one voter in four had deserted SODPAL, possibly upset by the acronym. Ladbrokes then made the Tories 11-8 favourites, SDP 13-8, Labour 2-1. The Speaker of the House of Commons ruled that it was unparliamentary to use the word 'fuck'.
The House of Commons rejected a mo- tion to leave the EEC by 212 votes to 110. In Thailand, Lord Carrington was told that the war against hill farmers of the Shan tribe in the north (called 'opium war-lords') was going well with the capture of an im- portant village. In China, Mr Teng Hsiao- ping stepped down. In Italy it was observed that the corpses of Mrs Jeannette May and her companion had had their hands cut off. Death from natural causes seemed less likely. After 200 suspected terrorists had been arrested in the aftermath of General Dozier's release, four members of the Red Brigades overcame guards at a barracks near Caserta and plundered it of its armoury.
r David Young replaced Sir Richard
O'Brien as head of the Manpower Services Commission, on Mr Tebbit's sug- gestion. Sir Henry Yellowlees, chief medical officer at the Department of Health, warn- ed that lead poisoning was having a serious and wholesale effect on the IQ of urban children. Manchester Art Gallery was threatened with closure by the City Fathers. Mr Billy Bremner, a footballer, was award- ed £100,000 libel damages against the Sun- day People, which had accused him of cor- ruption. Mr John Preece was awarded £70,000 compensation for eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murder. Mr Ben Nicholson died at 87. Tories on the Greater London Council decided to boycott a Gay Party celebrating £1 million of grants to homosexual groups in the Greater London area.
Mr De Lorean claimed £10 million com- pensation for alleged riot damage to his car factory in Belfast, in addition to the £80 million of government assistance already received. Muggings by black youths were said to have doubled since last April's riots in Brixton and the subsequent Scarman Report. Six 'community policemen' were injured on one night in separate attacks by gangs of up to 40 hooded white and col- oured youths in Toxteth. The Chief Con- stable of Liverpool, Mr Kenneth Oxford, said he did not propose to abandon com- munity policing. The Archbishop of Canterbury said it was time the Church of England appointed a black bishop. AAW
'I take it that as you think Sir Freddie Laker is such a nice chap, you'll only be wanting half fare.'
Previous page
