Defence Secretary King and Thatcher faced awkward questions on the under-cover role of the security services in undermining former Prime Ministers
Defence Secretary King and Thatcher faced awkward questions on the under-cover role of the security services in undermining former Prime Ministers

The range of outstanding responsibilities and the very wet and windy weather put paid to any idea of travelling early to Norfolk and Di and I collected the girls and took them both horse-riding in Offord and Della is becoming more confident. At the Parish Council meeting this evening, our bid to oppose development on the Samuel Jones site was lost but they did agree to partner more re-cycling. The local newspapers are full of my attacks on local councils over the Poll Tax as the lead story.

Pay review bodies have recommended teachers, doctors, armed forces personnel and civil servants pay increases of 9 to 11%. This makes the treatment of the ambulancemen even more unfair. In the Commons, Thatcher and Defence Secretary King face awkward questions on the under-cover role of the security services in undermining former Prime Ministers, but Thatcher resisted great pressure for a fuller enquiry

The weather started fine today, and this gave me some ideas about starting off to Norfolk a day earlier than intended but then I remembered the variety of things I had to do and so I went back to my desk. Later the weather became very wet and windy again and I was glad. I was up at a reasonable time and, after breakfast, then had to read another huge wad of papers from the District Council about the Local Plan meeting on Monday. I had just about got through my mail, when it was time to go with Di in the Range Rover up to Sawtry to have a new "cubby-box" fitted. The pity was that the unit was of the wrong type and so it could not be done. To St Neots afterwards, where we put my office curtains in for dry-cleaning (it had evidently been some 8 years since they were hung!) and then we had lunch there.

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A little shopping together afterwards and then Di dropped me off at home and went off to do some more. I typed up and copied the agenda for next Thursday's campaign co-ordination meeting and then had to go with Diana again to Kimbolton and on to Offord to take our girls horse-riding. The weather had become very windy and rainy again, but the ponies behaved, and the girls did well. Della is much more confident and is learning to steer Muffin and rise in the saddle for rising trot. Home for a quick tea and then off to the monthly Parish Meeting. At the prior Planning Committee, John Grosvenor made a strong plea for the development at Samuel Jones to be turned down and I was the only one to support him and so the matter was lost 6 to 2. In the main meeting, there was much progress on local matters to my satisfaction with the Council agreeing to work with local re-cycling campaigner, Hilary Knightley, to collect money to enhance the playground equipment. This was after they had taken exception to me criticising the Council in our FOCUS newsletter for not supporting a local bottle bank which nevertheless had the effect of making them more receptive to village feeling. Home a little late in the driving rain but I still took time to drop off some letters to Michael and Derek with agenda's for next week's meeting. The local newspapers are full of my attacks on local councils over the Poll Tax as the lead story. The news tonight is of the recommendations of the pay review bodies to give teachers, doctors, armed forces personnel and civil servants pay increases of 9 to 11%. This makes the treatment of the ambulancemen even more unfair with the government is running directly counter to public support on this issue and will pay for it in future elections. Sebastian Coe fails miserably in the Commonwealth Games and ends his athletics career on a poor note. From now on he will be running for office. In the Commons, Thatcher and Defence Secretary King face awkward questions on the under-cover role of the security services in undermining former Prime Ministers, but Thatcher resists great pressure for a fuller enquiry. It is time that the security services were more accountable to publicly elected leaders.