Sack race
Sir: Just to set right the attempt by Nigel Lawson to set right the record by Nicholas Ridley, I was not sacked by anybody from anything in 1981.
On Thursday 10 September, 1981, after a dinner for President Mitterrand and his team at No. 10, I asked to see the Prime Minister and had a talk with her in her upstairs sitting-room.
I said that I seemed to be in disagree- ment with both her and other Cabinet colleagues on so many energy-related issues that I would like to hand in the portfolio, although I did not wish to make any difficulties for the Government (which had enough on its plate already).
The Prime Minister very generously commented that I had had 'a horrible time', that she would like to keep me on `Typical, you wait for a world leader's motorcade and then seven come all at once.' board but could I wait until the following Monday when she planned a bigger reshuf- fle?
I agreed and on the Monday went to Transport.
I was actually 'sacked' two years later, in the middle of the night of Friday, 10 June, 1983, when I was bidden to Downing Street by an innocent-sounding call from a private secretary saying that the PM wanted to talk over one or two things with me!
No reasons were given.
David Howell
House of Commons, London SW1
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