I spent this mild and dry morning working through my District Council papers and mail and then the afternoon typing and making phone calls. I was orchestrating an anti-Tory plans for the coming May District Council elections together with Labour and the Greens.
It is now apparent that Thatcher is using the Ambulancemen’s dispute to try and enforce an undercover incomes policy as the strike escalates with more regions having to be served by army ambulances and some branches going as far as striking to leave no emergency cover at all. The Ford motor workers have just rejected more than 10% and the spiral is on. East German, demonstrators who are unhappy with the slow progress towards democracy and Gorbachev is in Lithuania trying to persuade them out of breaking away and is facing a tide of opinion that could yet overwhelm him
A day at home today after I slept reasonably considering the tension of last night's Town Council Meeting and was then up only slightly later than the rest of the family for breakfast. I took the mail into the conservatory to open and found a lot to read, particularly on District Council business. It was nearly coffee break before I had dealt with all that and tended my plants and fish. For the rest of the day, I was typing letters and making telephone calls. I am orchestrating what could be an effective local election campaign for the District Council Elections of next May. I spoke to my colleagues as well as the Labour leader and, with Michael and Moira talking to the Greens, I might be able to arrange quite a surprise for the Tories. If we each target our best seats and do not oppose the others in theirs, the Tories will have to fight on all fronts, and we may each win a couple of seats. I also arranged with the Hunts SLD lady candidate for Bury to co-ordinate campaigns with us, in which case we could get her elected as well.
I also dealt with some of my boat problems, ordering some more bits and pieces and progressing my delivery of battery chargers. I am still not making as much progress as I would like on my private affairs but perhaps tomorrow, I will do better, between meetings. The news today is of Thatcher protesting that high wage settlements are going to lead to higher unemployment, and she is quite evidently trying to use the ambulancemen to try to enforce an undercover incomes policy. The Ford motor workers have just rejected more than 10% and the spiral is on. The ambulance dispute is also escalating with more regions having to be served by army ambulances and some branches going as far as striking to leave no emergency cover at all. Elsewhere, in East Germany, demonstrators who are unhappy with the slow progress towards democracy and the retention of the secret police are tearing off the communist emblem to their national flag as a symbolic gesture. Gorbachev is in Lithuania trying to persuade them out of breaking away and is facing a tide of opinion that could yet overwhelm him. Today remained mild and dry but stormier weather is coming slowly.