Portrait of the Week
Sir Geoffrey Howe tried very hard to maintain optimism by sticking to his assertion that the worst of the recession was over, in spite of increased rejoinders from more government ministers, the TUC and the CBI. Some Tory backbenchers called for the resignation of party chairman Lord Thorneycroft for refusing to share Sir Geoffrey's optimism. Gloom of a different kind fell on large parts of the country as failures in the National Grid gave Britain its biggest blackout for 20 years, and torrential rain brought its own depressiOn.
The oil companies did not improve things by announcing a 51/2p increase on a gallon of petrol which has gone up by 40p since Christmas. About the only person unaffected by this increase was the new chief executive of ICL, the computer firm bailed out by the Government; Mr Robb Wilmot is getting an annual salary of £125,000 a year (it was to have been £150,000 but he generously accepted a wage freeze imposed on all ICL staff), plus rent-free accommodation in a £300,000 house, plus £25,000 `disturbance' allowance, plus a new Range Rover and a share option scheme. But a company affected by the oil price increase was British Airways — it blamed part of its £140 million loss on high fuel costs.
Other airlines were also in trouble this week as the air traffic controllers in America continued their strike, despite one of the strike leaders being sent to prison in chains, and controllers in other countries voting to black flights to America. An American airline pilot, Mr Kenneth Ulsane, sued Eastern Airlines for £2 million because it fired him when he changed his name to Karen and his sex to female.
To the consternation of some NATO countries, President Reagan decided to go ahead with the development of the neutron bomb, which is designed to kill people but leave buildings standing. Mr Reagan's advisers said this decision would enable the Russians to take US foreign policy seriously. A Russian diplomat left England having taken the Government's expulsion charge, presumably for spying, seriously.
The Appeal Court ordered an operation to be performed on a 10-day-old mongol baby after the parents refused permission. The husband of the deputy prosecutor at Dunferline County Court was himself prosecuted for assaulting his wife.
On the 10th anniversary of internment in Northern Ireland, the ninth hunger striker died in Belfast. The remaining hunger strikers smuggled out a new letter from jail, but the British Government said it contained no new initiatives, although the demand for political status was not mentioned. A terrorist of a different nationality, Abu Dahoud — claimed to be responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics — was shot five times in Warsaw by a lone gunman; Mr Begin rejected President Sadat's plea that the PLO should have a role in Middle East peace talks.
The English cricket selectors tried to maintain England's winning streak by making three changes for the fifth Test, and a footballer, Mr Peter Barnes, cost Leeds £930,000.
Although the country recovered from Royal Wedding fever, there were still a few tremors. The Swedish ombudsman is investigating reports that a police escort was provided to take the Queen of Sweden's shoes, especially bought for the wedding, to Stockholm airport. The Prince and Princess of Wales announced they would be visiting Egypt on their honeymoon and giving President Sadat dinner on the Royal Yacht.
A double murderer became the second man to escape from Broadmoor in recent months and Interpol's were alerted when his fiancée's car was found at Dover.
The Labour-controlled East Lothian council faces the prospect of bankruptcy, with the Government 'fining' it by withdrawing £1.5 million a week in grants because of its refusal to cut expenditure. In America, International Turtle Awareness Week continued, and in Greece a man was charged with sexual assault on a pelican, which later died. PH
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