A day scheduled for FOCUS work rudely interrupted with a personal BBC TV interview in the absence of a LibDem PPC in either local constituency to oppose John Major. This evening to Sally’s house for a Liberal Democrat committee meeting which was very well attended with a number of new people who had come along to join in as potential candidates for next May's Town Council elections.
John Major has bravely appointed Michael Heseltine as Environment Secretary with the brief of sorting out the Poll Tax and regrettably chose no female ministerial colleagues the first time in 25 years as his second mistake
I was slower to rise this morning but had got washed and shaved and could therefore at least have breakfast with the girls even though I was dressed only in pyjamas and dressing gown! I quickly dressed and did my chores afterwards as I was expecting Sally to arrive to key with some FOCUS copy. When she arrived, she brought her daughter, Alex, with her who professed that she was not well today but seemed well enough by then and happily sat in the play-room and watched "David the Gnome" video-tapes. Sally typed away and then my plans were thrown into flux by a call from BBC Television. They wanted to know who the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate was for John Major's Huntingdon Constituency and I did not know.
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I hurriedly called around my party colleagues in both the Huntingdon and S.W. Cambridgeshire constituencies and it soon became apparent that there was not one currently selected for either. I therefore stood in as the leader of the Huntingdonshire District Council Liberal Democrats and had to rendezvous with the television camera team at Pathfinder House. I called Percy to come over and help Sally in my absence and they typed in and corrected certain of the copy whilst I was away. I found them there in the end and recorded the interview which was not one of the best I had ever done but was not too bad. Home to find my colleagues finishing up and then we watched the lunchtime news, but the film was not taken in time for that. Lunch on my own and then I continued my telephone calls with party colleagues briefing them on the problem of not having a candidate in place and attempting to find out who could fulfil the role.
This afternoon, I was somewhat distracted by trying to keep my eye on the television, but I was also editing and sorting out the copy for FOCUS. Later, I also started to get return telephone calls from my colleagues and had a long chat to Sue Sutton. It has been prevarication from Sue Sutton and I that had left the constituency without a PPC and I debated with her which of us had the best reason for declining and she lost! I ended up by asking her to sleep on it and then called Murray White, the Chairman, to brief him accordingly. I also heard from Morris Leeke, the PPC for neighbouring N.E. Cambs and tried to put him on to the television but it was too late by this time. Then my interview was broadcast on the BBC regional news and was a short and somewhat hesitant piece, but not too bad and I did manage to record it.
It has been five years or more since I was last on television and that in an industrial capacity. After tea, it was soon time to go over to Sally's house for our Liberal Democrat committee meeting. Although the meeting did not get under-way until a while after the appointed time, it was very well attended and a number of new people had come along to join in as potential candidates for next May's Town Council elections. It went for on quite some while reviewing finances, membership, publicity, campaigning and the copy for the forthcoming FOCUS edition. It was pleasing to see several new activists come along to the meeting as potential Town Council candidates for next May. I suggested that we have a drink afterwards and certain of then accepted and joins us in the Half Moon pub up the road.
Home late as a result but privately exhilarated by the events of the day and the progress in our local political affairs. The news today was of John Major appointing his cabinet team. He has bravely appointed Michael Heseltine as Environment Secretary with the brief of sorting out the Poll Tax but it will not be easy. This could be a mistake as there could well be cabinet disagreement in the future as to what should be the outcome with another split. I would have put Michael in as the Defence Secretary, swanning about the Gulf out of harm’s way. One definite mistake was not to have at least one woman in the cabinet which is the first time in 25 years that this has not been the case.