PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
Coming out of the closet Ford workers began their first all-out strike for ten years after refusing to accept the company's latest 'final' three-year pay offer. British Coal responded to the strike of the pit deputies' union Nacods by announcing that it would end the closed shop agreement with them. Sealink Ferries sought in the High Court the seizure of the National Union of Seamen's assets for alleged contempt due to the continuing ferry strike. Less than 2 per cent of nurses walked out on strike on the much- publicised 'day of action'. The House of Commons surprised itself — and every- body else — by voting to allow televising of their proceedings with a majority of 54. Mr Kenneth Baker, the Education Secretary, announced that the ILEA would be abo- lished by 1990. He criticised the Labour- controlled authority for its poor service, despite the fact that it is the highest spending education authority in the coun- try. The Government considered launching a civil action to seize the profits of John Stalker's book about his enquiry into the alleged 'shoot to kill' policy operated by the RUC. Mr Cecil Parkinson emerged as one of the main beneficiaries of the retire- ment of Lord Whitelaw when it was confirmed that he has taken over the chairmanship of one of the Cabinet's key economic sub-committees. A Department of Transport investigation was ordered to find out how a BA Tristar came within 600 feet of colliding with a Bulgarian TU154. The Agriculture Minister, Mr John Selwyn Gummer, condemned Britain's 'condom culture' in a speech to the General Synod's House of Laity. He said that the Church seemed to think that it was 'less sinful for a man to sleep with his neighbour than his neighbour's wife.' Marghanita Laski, the writer and broadcaster, died.
THE US warned West Germany that it would consider withdrawing troops from Europe if West German policies led to the removal of all nuclear weapons from its territory. Mr Frank Carlucci, the US De- fence Secretary, said that refusal to mod- ernise Nato nuclear weapons in Europe would amount to a loss of nuclear deterr- ence. The West German Chancellor, Hel- mut Kohl had difficulty in getting support from within his own coalition for the reinforcement of the Nato nuclear arsenal. The report of the historical commission set up to enquire into the wartime past of the Austrian President Dr Kurt Waldheim concluded that though he was not perso- nally responsible for any war crimes when he served as a Germany army lieutenant he must have been aware of the atrocities committed against Jews and civilians. Mr Mikhail Gorbachev announced that Soviet troops would begin their withdrawal from Afghanistan on 15 May and that the process would be completed within ten months. This was dependent, however, on the successful outcome of the peace settle- ment between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Geneva in March this year. The Iowa caucus, the first big hurdle in the US presidential nomination race, was won by Senator Robert Dole for the Republicans. This was a setback for the American Vice-President, Mr George Bush, who came third behind the television evangelist Mr Pat Robertson. The former French prime minister Raymond Barre announced that he would stand as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections, running against Jacques Chirac. The Supreme Court of the Soviet Union 'rehabilitated' Nikolai Bukharin and Alexei Rykov, two leaders of the Bolshevik revolution ex- ecuted in Stalin's purge of 1938. MStJT
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