FT article follows my lead as the Government is re-shuffled and Geoffrey Pattie replaces Kenneth Backer at IT as the dock strike hits the headlines and Nigel Mansell joins Williams Grand Prix team
Up early all and a small breakfast, with Diana abstaining, before leaving Daniel to get Debbie off to school whilst I take Diana, with Daniella, to the hospital in Hichinbrooke, Huntingdon. I get her there, after filling up with petrol (a record £35), at 8.00am and she is well settled. Back home and to the office to start work, dropping in at the local newsagent to pick up The Guardian and see Peter Large’s article given prominent coverage on the financial page.
On to the office to load up telephone and computer data and sort out the copies from yesterday’s work. Then Daniel arrives back with Nigel Smith who had brought the photocopies I needed and was able to agree the ministerial copy and stay an hour to discuss tactics. I worked the afternoon, after a sandwich lunch, drafting and producing a submission to the OFTEL Director, Professor Bryan Carsberg, before posting the last few days correspondence and setting off to collect Di. She had fared well and, somewhat sore, turned in for an early night. News today of the exit of Jim Prior from the cabinet, with Thatcher not offering him any senior cabinet post in succession to Northern Ireland. Douglas Hurd takes over Northern Ireland from his previous job at the Home Office. Into the cabinet with a life peerage comes David Young, a minister without portfolio. Kenneth Baker is moved from Information Technology to local government with Geoffrey Pattie, formerly a DTI Defence Procurement Minister, becoming his replacement, with Lord Lucas of Chilworth becoming the junior minister. Both unknown to me! At the SDP Conference rousing speeches from Shirley Williams and Roy Jenkins with Roy scathing about the Conservative Cabinet changes, which gives Margaret Thatcher a Cabinet without a single doubting voice. There is more ex-ministerial talent on the back benches than in the government. The coal talks have continued today in complete silence, which is a blessed relief from the trading of insults that was the previous form. In the docks today, although 300 were at work at Bristol, only a hundred worked at Tilbury and the numbers working nationally today was less than last week. Efforts to salvage the nuclear waste from ‘Mon Louise’ was handicapped today by bad weather and winds and the ship is breaking up as another voyage is planned tomorrow for highly active waste of weapons strength. The tube and rail strikes are called off for another week’s talks and Nigel Mansell has signed to join the Williams motor racing team for next year’s formula 1 championship. Essex beat Lancashire by 10 wickets in two days and look set to pip Nottinghamshire for the first class cricket league championship.