Hey-hey, on my part, I'm waiting to see what you'll do for France: I got to disagree with your prospect of Pasqua as Prime Minister; in 1986, if the RPR still wins the legislative elections, it will still be Chirac as head of this party, or maybe Chaban-Delmas if Mitterrand decides to make one scheme more. Or maybe he resigns as early as 1986 or calls for an anticipated presidential election, but I can't picture him resigning after all his career, and not waiting that the right-wing foils herself in two years at Matignon.
For the Sake of a Shower: Mk. II
- Thread starter Lord Roem
- Start date
Chapter IV: Brassed Off
"You will look back at this struggle – you will look back with pride in your eyes at what you have done."
The Prime Minister yesterday announced his intention to aim for a formal settlement with regards to the continuing industrial dispute between the Government and the National Union of Mineworkers prior to the Parliamentary Recess which begins at the end of next week. Speaking to union representatives in Downing Street, Mr. Heseltine stated that “such aggressive action by both parties can only harm the economy and our social cohesion” claiming that “this Government has no desire to see families go hungry over Christmas”. Under the new proposals to settle the dispute, Employment Secretary Cecil Parkinson and Energy Secretary Peter Walker have both agreed in principle to the scheme with union leaders, which will now see phased closures of mines over the next decade in line with the original announcement of the twenty announced in March. However, this will now be accompanied with a substantial increase in investment in education, training and regeneration for all areas affected by the closures. In addition, a spokesman for the Department for Energy has indicated that further mine closures are now unlikely, with future investment to focus on the development of more environmentally friendly adoption of coal technology.
Sources close to the Prime Minister have indicated that the motion was only narrowly carried out within Cabinet with vocal opposition from Home Secretary Norman Tebbit and new Defence Secretary Alan Clark. Both Ministers have denied that they opposed the proposed legislation, although it is understood that both men will be absent from the vote on the Energy White Paper, due to be presented to the House of Commons on Monday.
Nevertheless, the agreement will, if passed by the National Union of Miners, be viewed as a pyrrhic victory for the Government given the ultimate outcome of a reduction in the number of collieries run by the National Coal Board. NUM leader Arthur Scargill was unavailable for comment, although colleagues claim that he may be willing to agree to the Government plan assuming investment within the mining community is guaranteed.
Reaction to the plan in affected areas was mixed yesterday, where it was greeted with enthusiasm in Lancashire, which has always been on the periphery of the strike, to derision in South Yorkshire, laying as it is at the core of the NUM power. Despite this, with a ballot now set for the 19th December, hopes are high with moderates in both Government and the coal industry that the dispute will now be fully settled by the New Year.
-From: The Times 13th December 1984
“They've sold us out, the w***ers! Still, at least the bairns’ll have some presents this year”
-Comment attributed to anonymous mineworker in Barnsley after agreement was reached in the Miners' Strike, cited “The Middle Path: Britain in the Eighties” Peter Hennessy: Faber and Faber 2010
“As the Government entered the New Year we had much to be proud of, the situation in Northern Ireland notwithstanding. I was highly content with my position at the Treasury and had already announced some moderation of the General Election pledges with regards to privatisation. BA, BT, British Layland and the other various elements of industry would all be sold to the private sector, but the Miner’s Strike had put the social upheaval of Freidmanism into brutal context. I feel that the Government had had a narrow escape from the industrial dispute and Michael and the other moderate voices in the cabinet had consented to permanently cancel the public sale of what were deemed to be “essential services”; the bus operators, British Steel (which had already begun to see a return to profit) and the various utility companies.
Tom King's official portrait taken as Chancellor,
In short, I rather think that we managed to achieve what the SDP set out to, a moderate form of Mrs. Thatcher’s neo-liberal economic programs. It did certainly have a major role to play in David Owen's decision over the perceived future role for the Social Democratic Party, given their schisms later in the Parliament, it is not surprising that they had a more conflicted ideological battle than we did!”
-From: “A Moderate Voice: Memoirs of Westminster” Thomas King: HarperCollins 1993
“While the mainland began to enjoy a return to economic prosperity, Northern Ireland was largely left to rot underneath the shadow of direct rule from London. However, I can hardly blame the Conservative Government entirely for the problems. Indeed, given the public outcry at the time, I am surprised more was not done to avail public anger. However much figures like Tebbit and Gow would have liked to, Heseltine was brave to not order the interment of entire families. Yes, shootings were rife and entire Catholic areas of Belfast were demolished, but given the wholly unrepentant campaign of violence stated by the PIRA, the whole business was not entirely without justification. I was secretly pleased, as were most of the SDLP, when Adams resigned as Sinn Fein leader. McGuiness was far from ideal, but at least he knew when the PIRA overstepped the line.
Of course, the Government was not entirely without blame. I can hardly support the wave of censorship that marked the period 1984-87, imprisoning people like Hislop, even if it was only for a few days at a time is not something that you would equate to a First World Democracy, and tacit support, however minor, for the unionist death squads was morally abhorrent. However, that was far more down to the actions of Gow rather than Heseltine and the moderate members of the Cabinet.
In short, British policy towards the Province in the mid-eighties was far worse than it could have been, but less harsh than many would have liked. I would argue that it bore more hallmarks of McCarthyism than Stalinism.
-From: “Making Sense of the Troubles” John Hume: Penguin Books 1998
“He is an abominable man really. His notions of union ultimately equate only to a protestant Dominion independent from the United Kingdom. Frankly, I have no quarrels with the Catholics so long as they swear fealty to the Sovereign. Given the choice, I would far sooner unite with Tony Benn than him.”
-Enoch Powell on Ian Paisley, cited in "Lies, Damn Lies, and Conservatives” Iain Dale MP: Bightback Publishing 2010
"Ode to the Conservatives
You Conservatives by name, come here, come here
You Conservatives by name, come here, come her
You Conservatives by name, your faults I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I must blame, you will hear, you will hear
Your doctrines I must blame, you will hear
You privatise away what is ours, what is ours
You privatise away what is ours
You privatise away and then you make us pay
We'll take it back some day, mark my words, mark my words
We'll take it back some day, mark my words
The miners they hide their faces in fear, yes in fear
The miners they hide their faces in fear
They hide away in fear but we recall their pain
And they know they'll fear the pain for us all, for us all
They know they'll fear the pain for us all
Your leader she has gone to the fire, to the fire
Your leader, she has gone to the fire
Your leader she has gone, but she's left us on a wire
And Tarzan's hanging on, he's hanging on, the liar
Tarzan, he's hanging on, yes, the liar"
-Billy Bragg, cited in "MTV to the Master System: Capturing the Eighties' Zeitgeist" Dominic Sandbrook: Allan Lane 2008
“During the mid to late eighties, the Conservative Party would ultimately find herself far more divided by the subject of Europe than by the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland. The 1922 Committee found itself increasing divided between the Federalists, who sought increased transfer of British power to Brussels, and the Sovereigntists, who still adhered to the outdated sixties ideal of the EEC acting as little more than a trading block and who thus refused to even consider the idea of the Community adopting an active role in the administration of individual member states.
The majority of the Cabinet was of the former opinion with only Tebbit, Clark and Procter being the few within high office who opposed the Cabinet majority. However, the Conservative grassroots and backbenches, especially the members of the Monday Club were largely of the latter point of view. Consequently, the moves made by Michael Heseltine started the long term party squabbling over the issue which would prove so damaging to Conservative cohesion towards the end of the decade.
This is not to dismiss the actions of the Heseltine Government by any means. The abilities of the fledgling Prime Minister, who had adapted to a role he had found himself in far sooner than he may ideally have liked, were almost ideally suited to nursing what had been an increasingly Disunited Kingdom under Mrs. Thatcher into a prosperous and largely peaceful democracy. The consensus reached over the Miners' Strike less than two months after taking office cannot be understated, as can the lessened pace of privatisation which he shared with his long-standing Chancellor, Thomas King. The two man partnership, formed by two men firmly in the centre of the Conservative Party, was an amicable one that lacked the hostility has been common to most other 10/11 relationships during the past century. The so-called "Middle Way" would dominate the economic policy of both the Conservative Party and the entire British political system for the next fifteen years, and its influence on other centre-right parties in Europe and North America cannot be unstated.
Alan Clark, later Baron Clark of Saltwood and Hythe, was to be one of the most vocal critics of the European Community during the Heseltine government and came close to resigning from the Cabinet several times over the controversy surrounding the Treaty of Bruges"-From: “The Conservative Party: From Peel to Pickles” Anthony Seldon: Penguin 2009
"You will look back at this struggle – you will look back with pride in your eyes at what you have done."
"DOWNING STREET TO MINERS: “TIME FOR NEGOTIATIONS"
Miners in Sheffield were unapologetic in their opposition to the proposals today, although it is understood that the government's offer is being seriously considered by the NUM leadership
Miners in Sheffield were unapologetic in their opposition to the proposals today, although it is understood that the government's offer is being seriously considered by the NUM leadership
The Prime Minister yesterday announced his intention to aim for a formal settlement with regards to the continuing industrial dispute between the Government and the National Union of Mineworkers prior to the Parliamentary Recess which begins at the end of next week. Speaking to union representatives in Downing Street, Mr. Heseltine stated that “such aggressive action by both parties can only harm the economy and our social cohesion” claiming that “this Government has no desire to see families go hungry over Christmas”. Under the new proposals to settle the dispute, Employment Secretary Cecil Parkinson and Energy Secretary Peter Walker have both agreed in principle to the scheme with union leaders, which will now see phased closures of mines over the next decade in line with the original announcement of the twenty announced in March. However, this will now be accompanied with a substantial increase in investment in education, training and regeneration for all areas affected by the closures. In addition, a spokesman for the Department for Energy has indicated that further mine closures are now unlikely, with future investment to focus on the development of more environmentally friendly adoption of coal technology.
Sources close to the Prime Minister have indicated that the motion was only narrowly carried out within Cabinet with vocal opposition from Home Secretary Norman Tebbit and new Defence Secretary Alan Clark. Both Ministers have denied that they opposed the proposed legislation, although it is understood that both men will be absent from the vote on the Energy White Paper, due to be presented to the House of Commons on Monday.
Nevertheless, the agreement will, if passed by the National Union of Miners, be viewed as a pyrrhic victory for the Government given the ultimate outcome of a reduction in the number of collieries run by the National Coal Board. NUM leader Arthur Scargill was unavailable for comment, although colleagues claim that he may be willing to agree to the Government plan assuming investment within the mining community is guaranteed.
Reaction to the plan in affected areas was mixed yesterday, where it was greeted with enthusiasm in Lancashire, which has always been on the periphery of the strike, to derision in South Yorkshire, laying as it is at the core of the NUM power. Despite this, with a ballot now set for the 19th December, hopes are high with moderates in both Government and the coal industry that the dispute will now be fully settled by the New Year.
-From: The Times 13th December 1984
“They've sold us out, the w***ers! Still, at least the bairns’ll have some presents this year”
-Comment attributed to anonymous mineworker in Barnsley after agreement was reached in the Miners' Strike, cited “The Middle Path: Britain in the Eighties” Peter Hennessy: Faber and Faber 2010
“As the Government entered the New Year we had much to be proud of, the situation in Northern Ireland notwithstanding. I was highly content with my position at the Treasury and had already announced some moderation of the General Election pledges with regards to privatisation. BA, BT, British Layland and the other various elements of industry would all be sold to the private sector, but the Miner’s Strike had put the social upheaval of Freidmanism into brutal context. I feel that the Government had had a narrow escape from the industrial dispute and Michael and the other moderate voices in the cabinet had consented to permanently cancel the public sale of what were deemed to be “essential services”; the bus operators, British Steel (which had already begun to see a return to profit) and the various utility companies.
Tom King's official portrait taken as Chancellor,
"I'm delighted to say that I was one of the few people to get the better of Spitting Image, they simply couldn't decide what to do with me!
In short, I rather think that we managed to achieve what the SDP set out to, a moderate form of Mrs. Thatcher’s neo-liberal economic programs. It did certainly have a major role to play in David Owen's decision over the perceived future role for the Social Democratic Party, given their schisms later in the Parliament, it is not surprising that they had a more conflicted ideological battle than we did!”
-From: “A Moderate Voice: Memoirs of Westminster” Thomas King: HarperCollins 1993
“While the mainland began to enjoy a return to economic prosperity, Northern Ireland was largely left to rot underneath the shadow of direct rule from London. However, I can hardly blame the Conservative Government entirely for the problems. Indeed, given the public outcry at the time, I am surprised more was not done to avail public anger. However much figures like Tebbit and Gow would have liked to, Heseltine was brave to not order the interment of entire families. Yes, shootings were rife and entire Catholic areas of Belfast were demolished, but given the wholly unrepentant campaign of violence stated by the PIRA, the whole business was not entirely without justification. I was secretly pleased, as were most of the SDLP, when Adams resigned as Sinn Fein leader. McGuiness was far from ideal, but at least he knew when the PIRA overstepped the line.
Of course, the Government was not entirely without blame. I can hardly support the wave of censorship that marked the period 1984-87, imprisoning people like Hislop, even if it was only for a few days at a time is not something that you would equate to a First World Democracy, and tacit support, however minor, for the unionist death squads was morally abhorrent. However, that was far more down to the actions of Gow rather than Heseltine and the moderate members of the Cabinet.
In short, British policy towards the Province in the mid-eighties was far worse than it could have been, but less harsh than many would have liked. I would argue that it bore more hallmarks of McCarthyism than Stalinism.
-From: “Making Sense of the Troubles” John Hume: Penguin Books 1998
“He is an abominable man really. His notions of union ultimately equate only to a protestant Dominion independent from the United Kingdom. Frankly, I have no quarrels with the Catholics so long as they swear fealty to the Sovereign. Given the choice, I would far sooner unite with Tony Benn than him.”
-Enoch Powell on Ian Paisley, cited in "Lies, Damn Lies, and Conservatives” Iain Dale MP: Bightback Publishing 2010
"Ode to the Conservatives
You Conservatives by name, come here, come here
You Conservatives by name, come here, come her
You Conservatives by name, your faults I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I must blame, you will hear, you will hear
Your doctrines I must blame, you will hear
You privatise away what is ours, what is ours
You privatise away what is ours
You privatise away and then you make us pay
We'll take it back some day, mark my words, mark my words
We'll take it back some day, mark my words
The miners they hide their faces in fear, yes in fear
The miners they hide their faces in fear
They hide away in fear but we recall their pain
And they know they'll fear the pain for us all, for us all
They know they'll fear the pain for us all
Your leader she has gone to the fire, to the fire
Your leader, she has gone to the fire
Your leader she has gone, but she's left us on a wire
And Tarzan's hanging on, he's hanging on, the liar
Tarzan, he's hanging on, yes, the liar"
-Billy Bragg, cited in "MTV to the Master System: Capturing the Eighties' Zeitgeist" Dominic Sandbrook: Allan Lane 2008
“During the mid to late eighties, the Conservative Party would ultimately find herself far more divided by the subject of Europe than by the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland. The 1922 Committee found itself increasing divided between the Federalists, who sought increased transfer of British power to Brussels, and the Sovereigntists, who still adhered to the outdated sixties ideal of the EEC acting as little more than a trading block and who thus refused to even consider the idea of the Community adopting an active role in the administration of individual member states.
The majority of the Cabinet was of the former opinion with only Tebbit, Clark and Procter being the few within high office who opposed the Cabinet majority. However, the Conservative grassroots and backbenches, especially the members of the Monday Club were largely of the latter point of view. Consequently, the moves made by Michael Heseltine started the long term party squabbling over the issue which would prove so damaging to Conservative cohesion towards the end of the decade.
This is not to dismiss the actions of the Heseltine Government by any means. The abilities of the fledgling Prime Minister, who had adapted to a role he had found himself in far sooner than he may ideally have liked, were almost ideally suited to nursing what had been an increasingly Disunited Kingdom under Mrs. Thatcher into a prosperous and largely peaceful democracy. The consensus reached over the Miners' Strike less than two months after taking office cannot be understated, as can the lessened pace of privatisation which he shared with his long-standing Chancellor, Thomas King. The two man partnership, formed by two men firmly in the centre of the Conservative Party, was an amicable one that lacked the hostility has been common to most other 10/11 relationships during the past century. The so-called "Middle Way" would dominate the economic policy of both the Conservative Party and the entire British political system for the next fifteen years, and its influence on other centre-right parties in Europe and North America cannot be unstated.
Alan Clark, later Baron Clark of Saltwood and Hythe, was to be one of the most vocal critics of the European Community during the Heseltine government and came close to resigning from the Cabinet several times over the controversy surrounding the Treaty of Bruges"
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Huzzah for the return of death of Maggie! Oh yes, and all that other "middle road" stuff. 
In all seriousness, really liking the new style of the thing - the pictures really make a difference. In fact, I like it so much that I'm feeling almost inspired enough to create my own AH where the Alliance wins the 1983 election (can anyone tell I'm a Lib Dem?).
Subscribed and looking forward to further updates
In all seriousness, really liking the new style of the thing - the pictures really make a difference. In fact, I like it so much that I'm feeling almost inspired enough to create my own AH where the Alliance wins the 1983 election (can anyone tell I'm a Lib Dem?).
Subscribed and looking forward to further updates
Huzzah for the return of death of Maggie! Oh yes, and all that other "middle road" stuff.
In all seriousness, really liking the new style of the thing - the pictures really make a difference. In fact, I like it so much that I'm feeling almost inspired enough to create my own AH where the Alliance wins the 1983 election (can anyone tell I'm a Lib Dem?).
Subscribed and looking forward to further updates
Wait you're still staying on that ship?
My thoughts exactly - somewhat disturbing to encounter someone who still supports the Lib Dems. What gives, Biggles?
I really don't like the suggestion in the latest update that the Sovereigntists lose the debate to the Federalists inside the Conservative party.
Frankly I find that ASB, after all the grassroots have far more long term influence over the future of the party via candidate selection then the leadership even in a party as centralised as the Tories. And the Grassroots are never going to be happy with signing up to a statist centralist body that the majority of the Eurocrats wanted to make the EC.
Actually, I've been asked this question so often that I wrote a blogpost explaining my reasons:
http://thepotterblogger.blogspot.com/2010/11/why-im-still-lib-dem.html
Two further reasons are that as a party a member I want to stay so I can have the satisfaction of helping boot Clegg out when the time comes and also because I have a (probably foolish and naive) desire to become party leader some day.
Well-put and a legitimate position to take, though I do have to raise eyebrows at some of the final bulletpoints (elected Lords? It's not in the Coalition agreement and the Tories would never, ever allow it, and the science spending commitment has since been reneged on [quietly], ditto the Green measures mentioned, and also the right to recall is as good as dead nowadays, ditto fixed-term parliaments, although the latter might make a comeback if Cameron doesn't go for his rumoured 'election in May 2011' strategy). Also, I'm not sure in which universe Iain Duncan Smith can be described as a moderate or One Nationer.
This thread isn't in Chat, though, so I'll leave it there - thanks for directing me to your reasons, it gives me some insight into the people who are still in that party. On some occasions, when I meet members (particularly Young Liberals) I am overcome with an unpleasant sensation, much like that which I experience when speaking to BNP members on 'The Doorstep'. Perhaps I'll look at them differently now.
Looking forward to the next update, Roem!
This thread isn't in Chat, though, so I'll leave it there - thanks for directing me to your reasons, it gives me some insight into the people who are still in that party. On some occasions, when I meet members (particularly Young Liberals) I am overcome with an unpleasant sensation, much like that which I experience when speaking to BNP members on 'The Doorstep'. Perhaps I'll look at them differently now.
Looking forward to the next update, Roem!
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I know this isn't chat so I'll keep it brief but you are mistaken on quite a few things.
An elected house of lords is in the coalition agreement and we should see the proposals for it before March, science spending is being protected in cash terms (though I would prefer it were protected in real terms), the green measure have already been introduced, mainly the green investment bank and home insulation scheme, fixed term parliaments have already been legislated for and IDS is a moderate in the sense that he's decided that the solution to welfare is not to squeeze all the money from it but to put more money into it so that people can continue claiming benefits in a tapered form when they go into work as opposed to the current system where taking a job can see their income drop. Peace
I also second looking forward to the next update!
An elected house of lords is in the coalition agreement and we should see the proposals for it before March, science spending is being protected in cash terms (though I would prefer it were protected in real terms), the green measure have already been introduced, mainly the green investment bank and home insulation scheme, fixed term parliaments have already been legislated for and IDS is a moderate in the sense that he's decided that the solution to welfare is not to squeeze all the money from it but to put more money into it so that people can continue claiming benefits in a tapered form when they go into work as opposed to the current system where taking a job can see their income drop. Peace
I also second looking forward to the next update!
Chapter V: Patience
"I should like to point out on behalf of the SDP-Liberal Alliance, that although we are very nice people we have absolutely no idea how to run a country"
Q1: Sir Anthony Meyer (North West Clwyd) (CON): To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 22nd January.
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): This morning I presided a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with a number of senior ministerial colleagues. In addition to my duties in the house I shall have similar meetings later today.
Sir Anthony Meyer (North West Clwyd) (CON): Mr. Speaker, it will be greeted with great pleasure amongst many of my colleagues on either side of this house regarding the Prime Minister’s recent commitment regarding the British position on the proposed single currency. Can the Prime Minister give me his assurances that he will not be swayed by callous xenophobia in ensuring that Britain remains committed to the European economic ideal?
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for my Rt. Honourable Friend’s show of faith on the Cabinet policy regarding Europe. I can assure him that any future move to further integrate the European monetary structure will be looked into with all due faith. To act apart from the continent would be disastrous for our place in Europe and for our economic strength in the years to come.
Mr. Neil Kinnock (Islwyn) (LAB): Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising to see that the Government has reneged on its pledge to provide investment for the areas of the country dependent on coal mining following last year’s industrial dispute. Indeed, how the Prime Minister can claim to have reached a “balanced settlement” with the NUM is laughable when one continues to witness the ideological battle within the Cabinet on the issue of Trade Union relations. When will this Government admit to the House that the way in which they have treated the national workforce has been a mistake?
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): Mr. Speaker, this Government has no desire to see industrial disputes paralyse this country’s infrastructure. The investment that my Rt. Hon friend the Secretary of State for Employment announced last month will be forthcoming as soon as all Trade Union leaders have announced, unequivocally, to support Government policy on the matter.
Hon Members: Shame!
Dr. David Owen (Plymouth Davenport) (SDP): It is gratifying, Mr. Speaker, to see that the Government has begun to accept the need for further moves to join our neighbour across the channel. Regardless of the opinion of elements of the Conservative front bench, I can assure him that the Social Democratic Party will continue to support any moves towards accepting the single currency."
-From Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) House of Commons. 6th series: Volume 71. Tuesday 22nd January 1985, with thanks to Her Majesty's Stationary Office and the House of Commons Library
“No David! You shall become Prime Minister one day!”
-Discussion between Alan Clark and David Owen, cited in “Alan Clark: The Thatcherite's Thatcher” Ion Trewin: Hutchinson 2008
"Dear Chris;
Please find enclosed the latest script for the new episode, shame the Thatcher one got pulled on Herr Whitelaw's orders but I guess that isn't any more than you can expect from the Ministry of Propaganda (make sure that you destroy this message as soon as you get it before the Obergruppenführers come a-knocking). The new series won't air until January so I would assume that things will have calmed down, well, unless there is a problem along the lines of the Soviets invading or Michael Foot launching a coup (which admittedly is more or less the same thing).
As you can see, it's a bit more cheery than we've had for a while, it seems a shame that everything has been so gloomy. If you need any help with the singing then give the bods downstairs a call, I can't imagine anything short of the worst warbling being worse than Harry's cacophony!
Kind regards,
Geoff
SCENE: An elegant Victorian room with vaguely fin de siècle decore. WILLIAMS and OWEN both enter the area from opposite sides of the screen. Outside, we see a loosely European city scape. WILLIAMS is dressed as a fashionable gentlewoman, OWEN as a rakish cove. Both look at each other, then at the slumbering figure of JENKINS, prompting them to sing.
[MUSIC: "So go to him and say to him"]
WILLIAMS:
So go to him and say to him with compliment ironical
OWEN:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
And that's what I shall say!
WILLIAMS:
Your party is too liberalised
Your style is too tyrannical
OWEN:
Sing 'Bah to you!
Ha! Ha! to you!'
And that's what I shall say!
WILLIAMS:
I was the beau ideal of the modern Social Democrat
I appeal to the electorate, from the teacher to the bureaucrat
Until you cut me out with your leadership most autocrat!
OWEN:
Sing 'Booh to you!
Pooh-pooh to you!'
And that's what I shall say
Sing 'Booh to you!
Pooh-pooh to you!'
And that's what I shall say"
WILLIAMS [Co-currently]:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! ha! to you'
And that's what I shall say!
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! Ha! to you"
Sing 'Booh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what you should say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what you should say!
OWEN [Co-currently]:
Hey!
Good-day!
Bah!
Ha! Ha!
Booh!
Pooh-pooh!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what I shall say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
OWEN:
I'll tell him that unless he will consent to be more jocular
WILLIAMS:
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
OWEN:
To cut his whole authority and kick his bits testicular!
WILLIAMS:
Sing 'Bah to you!
Ha! Ha! to you!'
And that's what I shall say!
OWEN:
To stuff his conversation full of piffle and of rigidity
To return Hillhead to the blues again with all duplicity
He'd flee back home to Brussels with all convenient rapidity!
WILLIAMS [Co-currently]:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! ha! to you'
And that's what I shall say!
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! Ha! to you"
Sing 'Booh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what you should say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what you should say!
OWEN [Co-currently]:
Hey!
Good-day!
Bah!
Ha! Ha!
Booh!
Pooh-pooh!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what I shall say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
[MUSIC END]
END OF PART ONE
[MUSIC: Theme Roll]”
-From ITV Internal Memo- Spitting Image Production Office
“26th January 1985
There are increasingly heated exchanges in the Party regarding our position on the EEC. Time and time again discussion turns to the need for “economic integration” and “monetary harmonisation” and other such vagaries of unrepentant capitalism. It appears that support for the EEC and the single currency is becoming increasingly active within the Party, though how that can be said to be adhering to the spirit of a Socialist organisation is beyond me. However, debate over the issue will always be far more damaging to the Conservative Party than to Labour, the mark of nationalism I fear.
I am only now beginning to see how much the Government is split over the issue, I managed to have a quiet lunch with Ted Heath today and he is increasing convinced that the hard-right of the party will attempt a palace coup against the Prime Minister if his pro-Europe sentiment becomes any more apparent. He is worried that, should that occur, the country will get lumbered with someone even more detestable than Mrs. Thatcher, Procter is being spoken of as a future hair apparent which would be truly horrifying.
Ireland, sadly, is no longer on the front pages. The deaths and illegal internment of prisoners continues, but Ian Gow is managing to keep the worst of the atrocities off the front pages on the mainland. I find myself having to rely progressively more on the Irish Times to keep abreast of the news. I’m afraid to say that Peter [Archer] is not challenging Gow enough over Unionist atrocities there. According to David Hume, over fifty of his constituents have been arrested in the past month, as long as such aggressive and undemocratic measures continue I can see little sign of the violence ending.
The MP for Sledgefield, Tony Blair is making a name for himself, I always had him down as a right winger but, to the surprise of most of his colleagues, he joined the Socialist Campaign Group a few days ago. He sort me out as I was on my way home and we managed to have a very positive chat on the future of the Party. I think that he could make a fine future minister and pledged to watch his career with great interest. His wife (Tony Booth’s daughter) has just been selected to contest Jim’s old seat at the next election, both could be well worth watching I feel.
Hilary rang from America tonight where he is assisting Senator Hart on preparing for his future Presidential bid. Apparently Hart has been warned off women by a Congressional ally. I said to Hilary that it was not behaviour that one would wish to see in a possible American leader but he told me not to take too much stock in the rumours.”
-From: “Diaries 1983-1990” Tony Benn: Penguin 1993
The Government held three out of the four seats contested yesterday in the by-elections caused by the assassination of the three senior Conservatives in the shootings at Westminster Abbey in December as well as the delayed poll in Finchley prompted by the murder of the Prime Minister in October. The Tories safely held Sutton Coldfield, formally held by Defence Secretary Norman Fowler, with candidate Iain Duncan Smith almost 9000 votes ahead of the Labour candidate. The Conservative candidate Mr. Tim Janman also held the seat of Wanstead and Woolford formerly held by Chief Whip Patrick Jenkin by over 8000 votes. Finally, in Finchley, the former seat of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher, the Conservative candidate David Davis, a 36 year old business executive, held the seat on a reduced majority of 7521.
In a surprise result however, the Conservatives lost the Waveney seat held by the former Northern Ireland Secretary James Prior by a narrow margin to the Social Democratic Party candidate, Shirley Williams. Mrs. Williams, a founding member of the SDP who lost her Crosby seat at the last General Election, was said to be “thrilled” at her return to the Commons and announced a desire to “further develop the SDP as the true voice of the moderate majority of British politics”. It is not yet known whether Mrs. Williams will return to the SDP front bench following a number of disagreements with Party leader David Owen.”
-From The Guardian: Friday 25th January 1985
“Despite the break with the more aggressive areas of Thatcherism, the Conservative Party was still treating the social welfare of the nation with great disdain. There were clear signs of a conservative backlash against the “Permissiveness” of the sixties and seventies which manifested itself in legislation limiting gay rights and other matters I had always felt to be down to the individual.
My campaign for Parliament therefore was motivated far more down to social rather than economic matters. I’ve always been on the right of the Labour Party when it came to the latter and I was apparently tipped for defection to the SDP soon after my election. I’ve always taken that as a slight, I’ve always been very loyal to the Party. After Owen made his second defection I said to myself, “Churchill could get away with it, no one else ever will.”
-Former Education Secretary Christopher Morris in a recent interview, "The Days We Make Today" for The Observer Magazine
"I should like to point out on behalf of the SDP-Liberal Alliance, that although we are very nice people we have absolutely no idea how to run a country"
"Prime Minister
Engagements
Engagements
Q1: Sir Anthony Meyer (North West Clwyd) (CON): To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 22nd January.
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): This morning I presided a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with a number of senior ministerial colleagues. In addition to my duties in the house I shall have similar meetings later today.
Sir Anthony Meyer (North West Clwyd) (CON): Mr. Speaker, it will be greeted with great pleasure amongst many of my colleagues on either side of this house regarding the Prime Minister’s recent commitment regarding the British position on the proposed single currency. Can the Prime Minister give me his assurances that he will not be swayed by callous xenophobia in ensuring that Britain remains committed to the European economic ideal?
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for my Rt. Honourable Friend’s show of faith on the Cabinet policy regarding Europe. I can assure him that any future move to further integrate the European monetary structure will be looked into with all due faith. To act apart from the continent would be disastrous for our place in Europe and for our economic strength in the years to come.
Mr. Neil Kinnock (Islwyn) (LAB): Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising to see that the Government has reneged on its pledge to provide investment for the areas of the country dependent on coal mining following last year’s industrial dispute. Indeed, how the Prime Minister can claim to have reached a “balanced settlement” with the NUM is laughable when one continues to witness the ideological battle within the Cabinet on the issue of Trade Union relations. When will this Government admit to the House that the way in which they have treated the national workforce has been a mistake?
The Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): Mr. Speaker, this Government has no desire to see industrial disputes paralyse this country’s infrastructure. The investment that my Rt. Hon friend the Secretary of State for Employment announced last month will be forthcoming as soon as all Trade Union leaders have announced, unequivocally, to support Government policy on the matter.
Hon Members: Shame!
Dr. David Owen (Plymouth Davenport) (SDP): It is gratifying, Mr. Speaker, to see that the Government has begun to accept the need for further moves to join our neighbour across the channel. Regardless of the opinion of elements of the Conservative front bench, I can assure him that the Social Democratic Party will continue to support any moves towards accepting the single currency."
-From Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) House of Commons. 6th series: Volume 71. Tuesday 22nd January 1985, with thanks to Her Majesty's Stationary Office and the House of Commons Library
“No David! You shall become Prime Minister one day!”
-Discussion between Alan Clark and David Owen, cited in “Alan Clark: The Thatcherite's Thatcher” Ion Trewin: Hutchinson 2008
"Dear Chris;
Please find enclosed the latest script for the new episode, shame the Thatcher one got pulled on Herr Whitelaw's orders but I guess that isn't any more than you can expect from the Ministry of Propaganda (make sure that you destroy this message as soon as you get it before the Obergruppenführers come a-knocking). The new series won't air until January so I would assume that things will have calmed down, well, unless there is a problem along the lines of the Soviets invading or Michael Foot launching a coup (which admittedly is more or less the same thing).
As you can see, it's a bit more cheery than we've had for a while, it seems a shame that everything has been so gloomy. If you need any help with the singing then give the bods downstairs a call, I can't imagine anything short of the worst warbling being worse than Harry's cacophony!
Kind regards,
Geoff
SCENE: An elegant Victorian room with vaguely fin de siècle decore. WILLIAMS and OWEN both enter the area from opposite sides of the screen. Outside, we see a loosely European city scape. WILLIAMS is dressed as a fashionable gentlewoman, OWEN as a rakish cove. Both look at each other, then at the slumbering figure of JENKINS, prompting them to sing.
[MUSIC: "So go to him and say to him"]
WILLIAMS:
So go to him and say to him with compliment ironical
OWEN:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
And that's what I shall say!
WILLIAMS:
Your party is too liberalised
Your style is too tyrannical
OWEN:
Sing 'Bah to you!
Ha! Ha! to you!'
And that's what I shall say!
WILLIAMS:
I was the beau ideal of the modern Social Democrat
I appeal to the electorate, from the teacher to the bureaucrat
Until you cut me out with your leadership most autocrat!
OWEN:
Sing 'Booh to you!
Pooh-pooh to you!'
And that's what I shall say
Sing 'Booh to you!
Pooh-pooh to you!'
And that's what I shall say"
WILLIAMS [Co-currently]:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! ha! to you'
And that's what I shall say!
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! Ha! to you"
Sing 'Booh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what you should say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what you should say!
OWEN [Co-currently]:
Hey!
Good-day!
Bah!
Ha! Ha!
Booh!
Pooh-pooh!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what I shall say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
OWEN:
I'll tell him that unless he will consent to be more jocular
WILLIAMS:
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
OWEN:
To cut his whole authority and kick his bits testicular!
WILLIAMS:
Sing 'Bah to you!
Ha! Ha! to you!'
And that's what I shall say!
OWEN:
To stuff his conversation full of piffle and of rigidity
To return Hillhead to the blues again with all duplicity
He'd flee back home to Brussels with all convenient rapidity!
WILLIAMS [Co-currently]:
Sing 'Hey to you
Good-day to you'
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! ha! to you'
And that's what I shall say!
Sing 'Booh to you
Pooh-pooh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Sing 'Bah to you
Ha! Ha! to you"
Sing 'Booh to you'
And that's what you should say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what you should say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what you should say!
OWEN [Co-currently]:
Hey!
Good-day!
Bah!
Ha! Ha!
Booh!
Pooh-pooh!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
Booh!
Booh!
And that's what I shall say!
Bah!
Bah!
And that's what I shall say!
[MUSIC END]
END OF PART ONE
[MUSIC: Theme Roll]”
-From ITV Internal Memo- Spitting Image Production Office
“26th January 1985
There are increasingly heated exchanges in the Party regarding our position on the EEC. Time and time again discussion turns to the need for “economic integration” and “monetary harmonisation” and other such vagaries of unrepentant capitalism. It appears that support for the EEC and the single currency is becoming increasingly active within the Party, though how that can be said to be adhering to the spirit of a Socialist organisation is beyond me. However, debate over the issue will always be far more damaging to the Conservative Party than to Labour, the mark of nationalism I fear.
I am only now beginning to see how much the Government is split over the issue, I managed to have a quiet lunch with Ted Heath today and he is increasing convinced that the hard-right of the party will attempt a palace coup against the Prime Minister if his pro-Europe sentiment becomes any more apparent. He is worried that, should that occur, the country will get lumbered with someone even more detestable than Mrs. Thatcher, Procter is being spoken of as a future hair apparent which would be truly horrifying.
Ireland, sadly, is no longer on the front pages. The deaths and illegal internment of prisoners continues, but Ian Gow is managing to keep the worst of the atrocities off the front pages on the mainland. I find myself having to rely progressively more on the Irish Times to keep abreast of the news. I’m afraid to say that Peter [Archer] is not challenging Gow enough over Unionist atrocities there. According to David Hume, over fifty of his constituents have been arrested in the past month, as long as such aggressive and undemocratic measures continue I can see little sign of the violence ending.
The MP for Sledgefield, Tony Blair is making a name for himself, I always had him down as a right winger but, to the surprise of most of his colleagues, he joined the Socialist Campaign Group a few days ago. He sort me out as I was on my way home and we managed to have a very positive chat on the future of the Party. I think that he could make a fine future minister and pledged to watch his career with great interest. His wife (Tony Booth’s daughter) has just been selected to contest Jim’s old seat at the next election, both could be well worth watching I feel.
Hilary rang from America tonight where he is assisting Senator Hart on preparing for his future Presidential bid. Apparently Hart has been warned off women by a Congressional ally. I said to Hilary that it was not behaviour that one would wish to see in a possible American leader but he told me not to take too much stock in the rumours.”
David Owen served as Foreign Secretary in the Cabinet with Tony Benn, the two men grew to despise one another over the former's decision to leave the Labour Party in favour of the SDP
"I saw it as an act of abject betrayal to the Labour movement to which David owed his entire political career"
"I saw it as an act of abject betrayal to the Labour movement to which David owed his entire political career"
-From: “Diaries 1983-1990” Tony Benn: Penguin 1993
“MIXED DAY FOR GOVERNMENT IN BY-ELECTIONS
The Government held three out of the four seats contested yesterday in the by-elections caused by the assassination of the three senior Conservatives in the shootings at Westminster Abbey in December as well as the delayed poll in Finchley prompted by the murder of the Prime Minister in October. The Tories safely held Sutton Coldfield, formally held by Defence Secretary Norman Fowler, with candidate Iain Duncan Smith almost 9000 votes ahead of the Labour candidate. The Conservative candidate Mr. Tim Janman also held the seat of Wanstead and Woolford formerly held by Chief Whip Patrick Jenkin by over 8000 votes. Finally, in Finchley, the former seat of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher, the Conservative candidate David Davis, a 36 year old business executive, held the seat on a reduced majority of 7521.
Shirley Williams pictured campaigning in Waveney yesterday afternoon
In a surprise result however, the Conservatives lost the Waveney seat held by the former Northern Ireland Secretary James Prior by a narrow margin to the Social Democratic Party candidate, Shirley Williams. Mrs. Williams, a founding member of the SDP who lost her Crosby seat at the last General Election, was said to be “thrilled” at her return to the Commons and announced a desire to “further develop the SDP as the true voice of the moderate majority of British politics”. It is not yet known whether Mrs. Williams will return to the SDP front bench following a number of disagreements with Party leader David Owen.”
-From The Guardian: Friday 25th January 1985
“Despite the break with the more aggressive areas of Thatcherism, the Conservative Party was still treating the social welfare of the nation with great disdain. There were clear signs of a conservative backlash against the “Permissiveness” of the sixties and seventies which manifested itself in legislation limiting gay rights and other matters I had always felt to be down to the individual.
My campaign for Parliament therefore was motivated far more down to social rather than economic matters. I’ve always been on the right of the Labour Party when it came to the latter and I was apparently tipped for defection to the SDP soon after my election. I’ve always taken that as a slight, I’ve always been very loyal to the Party. After Owen made his second defection I said to myself, “Churchill could get away with it, no one else ever will.”
-Former Education Secretary Christopher Morris in a recent interview, "The Days We Make Today" for The Observer Magazine
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Keep it coming Your Lordship. Interesting to see Blair as a Bennite, but that leaves room for the Alliance if they can peel away centrist Labourites and Tories. That's a major if, which I'm sure you'll answer soon.
if you do bump things, shouldn't you do it with more class?
