The Week
On Monday the country was shaken by the news that the Foreign Secretary, Mr Anthony Crosland, had suffered a stroke at the age of fifty-eight. Infrequent bulletins over the following days said that he was dangerously ill and unconscious. It became clear that his political career was at an end, posing a grave problem for Mr Callaghan.
Mr Crosland's stroke came at a time when he was chairman of the EEC council of ministers and when European politics were in a tensecondit ion. The British Government won a notable victory to conserve stocks of fish: the Nine accepted a number of proposals to prevent the destruction of large numbers of herring, young haddock and edible white fish. The Irish announced that they would enforce even more rigorous measures of their own.
Relations between Britain and Ireland were in any case at a low ebb. The Irish continued their case in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which gave a preliminary finding against Britain over charges of torture in Ulster. Ironically, this was the week in which the Irish Times made charges of brutality against the Irish police.
Britain had its worst-ever monthly trade deficit figure: £.545 million in January, Mr Healey was reminded of his recent claim that we had turned the financial corner. The pound fell below S1.70 and the FT index dropped fifteen points in a day, but recovered rapidly to 384 on Wednesday, despite the attempt of British Leyland workers to 'bust' the social contract.
In India the election campaign got under way. Mrs Gandhi gave an assurance that she would accept the verdict of the people, but drew some ribald criticism when her son, Mr Sanjay Gandhi—not previously known, for his political activities—came forward as a Congress party candidate. Mrs Gandhi's aunt, Mrs Pandit, on the other hand, joined the opposition critics.
The great kitchen cabinet row continued to delight or depress, according to taste. Lady Falkender replied to Mr Joe Haines at some length and in more temperate fashion than previously. Mr Haines meanwhile claimed that the Treasury had attempted a `coup' against the Wilson government in 1975 and returned to his favourite subject to allege that Lady F. had 'shaped' cabinets. Finally, Sir Harold had his own say, agreeing that Lady Falkender's peerage had been awarded partly to show contempt for the Press.
The Shah admitted that 3,000 Marxists were in jail in Iran. In Morocco 176 `Leftists' were imprisoned. In Johannesburg a black man being interrogated by police 'fell to his death' from the tenth floor, the thirteenth
person to die in such circumstances within a year, The British Government refused to have anything to do with the Rhodesian schoolchildren in Botswana.
The ruling social democrats won the Danish general election despite the promise of their rivals to abolish income tax. The
American Secretary of State Mr Vance, arrived in Israel to talk about a new agree
ment with Egypt. The Portuguese prime minister Dr Soares was in London where he announced his country's application for
EEC membership next month. President Giscard d'Estaing said. in Timbuktu that France would not sell arms to South Africa. The decision to release Anna Mendleson, part of the 'Angry Brigade' terror group, on
parole was criticised by Conservative MPs.
Mr Foot backed down yet again on the devolution Bill, agreeing that the referen dums would be 'consultative' only. Ministerial opposition to the Laker Skytrain was finally abandoned. Mr Wedgwood Benn proposed the disclosure of Cabinet discussions, as if that would be something new' Judge Lee was criticised in the Court of Appeal for 'skittishness' in his summing-IW, in the case of a female dog-breeder charge() with stealing razor blades. Judge G reenwood forgot to pay his rates, but a distress warrant reminded him to settle the matter.
The fifth and final Test match ended in a draw in spite of the best efforts of the Indian spinners. After the 2-0 defeat by Hollandd, England's manager, Don Revie, admitte that his team was 'behind on control. And in an attempt to thwart the French Rugby XV in Saturday's international againsl, England, French supporters were advisec not to bring live cockerels to Twickenham.
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