Gorbechev and Thatcher were both facing their problems
Gorbechev and Thatcher were both facing their problems

Another early start to the day and time to tend the fish and plants in the conservatory before breakfast. Then the morning newspapers and mail before Michael Pope arrived to discuss our plan for the following years FOCUS issues and the whole question of developing branch organisation and membership, which was the theme of successful Liberal Democrats meeting in the evening.

The Tory government experienced a back-bench revolt by over 30 Tory M.P.'s opposing the Poll Tax and Gorbachev turns on his critics as the fighting worsens

Slept well enough and actually had time to tend the fish and plants in the conservatory before breakfast. Read the morning newspaper and mail but then it was time to prepare a few things before Michael Pope arrived as arranged for a 9.00am meeting. He came to discuss timescales for the year's FOCUS issues and I also raised the whole question of branch membership and organisation. He agreed with my view that, if our local political efforts were not to stagnate at some point, that we had to increase our fund-raising, membership and number of activists and that tonight's meeting of the local party management was the first place to start!

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This took us most of the morning and then, this afternoon, I rigged up the battery charger and blocking diodes on "The Lady" to both try out their effectiveness and also to charge the boat's batteries up as well. After tea, I went to the Liberal Democrats meeting and it was a great success. It went on rather late but that was no bad thing as it was productive and showed enthusiasm. The news today was of the government experiencing a back-bench revolt by over 30 Tory M.P.'s over the Poll Tax, but still they won the day. Gorbachev turns on his critics as the Azerbaijan and Armenian fighting worsens but his problems remain. At least he is young enough to handle it, but it seems all problems at the moment!