Kurdish people wait on the Iraq side of the Khabur River frontier with Turkey hoping to be allowed to cross to safety in Turkey
Kurdish people wait on the Iraq side of the Khabur River frontier with Turkey hoping to be allowed to cross to safety in Turkey

More Election matters as I got posters organised for Angela Bush’s campaign and then time spent installing 20 poster boards in Eaton Socon. The news today is of the continuing refugee problem in Northern Iraq with more and more television pictures of the suffering Kurds who had been denied sanctuary in Turkey and Iran and being turned back to Iraq.

Back home, a slight fall in inflation and lower money rates allowed the authorities to allow the bank rate to fall by a further half percent and so some mortgage interest payments will now fall by up to 1%.

A further day on the election hustings but I also spent time with the gardener and on the swimming pool. I was in telephone contact first thing with Tricia Bridges-Palmer about posters for Angela Bush. Then a number of other calls leading to me completing artwork for both this and for Eaton Ford and eventually I managed to get Percy Meyer to go over to Cambridge to get them run off. After lunch, I went over to Eaton Socon and got the poster-board campaign under way. We took out about 20 or so boards and installed them around the village and made a good start. Home for tea and then off again to Eaton Socon to get some canvassing done.

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First, I tidied up the committee room and then we went out to canvas some of the less-supportive areas. We found Ross McKay on the hustings and he has some support up that end of the ward and will be difficult to oust from the Town Council. I tried to find our absentee candidate, Tony Carmedy, afterwards but his house was empty, but I did get Derek's neighbours delivered with an apology letter concerning the parking and congestion. Home after 9.30pm and then the news and a rest with Diana in the lounge. The news today is of the continuing refugee problem in Northern Iraq. There are more and more television pictures of the suffering and the western politicians have to justify their policies. The British "Kurdish-enclave" proposal has not been supported by US President Bush or the UN Secretariat and has now been watered down to security-only for the relief opposition.

Turkey and Iran are trying to avoid taking the refugees and aid is minimal and concentrated right on the heights of the border mountains. Now many of the refugees are turning round and going back to Iraq. Nine refugees were killed today when relief crates actually dropped on their tents. Now the US are sending many helicopters and are now denying reports that they intend to set up refugee forces inside Iraq. Now the formal cease-fire is in force and the US troops in Southern Iraq will be replaced by UN forces across a small border area. Back home, a slight fall in inflation and lower money rates allowed the authorities to allow the bank rate to fall by a further half percent and so some mortgage interest payments will now fall by up to 1%.