The Governments year.(to be updated)
The mood in the Cabinet was one of activity.
The British Airports Authority had just passed Parliament, in a move which Hattersley had managed to land a blow on the Prime Minister over the move, making much of the point that it would be possible that British Airports could conceivably no longer be in British hands once the move went through.
On the bill, the Liberals and the SDP backed Labour and as such it was rather controversial, but all the same it went through. “You know, I believe that with five more years, we have broken the back of socialism” Thatcher was heard to remark following the debate.
Although, the privatisations were continuing as earlier on in the regime, it was noted that Mrs Thatcher was beginning to look more and more at social matters. The traditional nuclear family was to be at the centre of her policies over the next term. Indeed at the Conservative Party Conference, she made clear in a speech that she wanted a return to more traditional social conservatism, stating that "Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay”.
As such, a new law was to be passed opposing the “Promotion of homosexuality” in schools, in an amendment to a local government bill by Conservative MP, David Wilshire. Thatcher backed the amendment, stating that councils should not be indoctronating children. In the Commons, Hattersley defeated the Prime Minister in PMQs over the bill, portraying her as homophobic, and not trusting teachers. He never got a good review in the Sun and the tabloids, but the majority of the broadsheets agreed.
In addition to this, following the Labour listens document, which ending their policy of unilateral disarmament*, the polls were beginning to turn against the Government.
This of course was affected by other matters. Hattersley was making the point at every oppurtunity of the Conservative poster in the 1979 election of “Britains not working”, and that even now, unemployment was higher than that when Mrs Thatcher came to power and his claims were starting to have an effect.
In addition to this, Jeffrey Archer lost his libel action against the Daily Star after Ted Francis spoke out against him during the case after a reported falling out between the men. Archer was subsequently charged with perjury and sent to prison. The year was not a good one for the Government.
By the end of the year though, Thatcher planned her latest privatisation, British Steel.
*Different from the OTL Doc and coming next, together with more details of both Thatcher and Hattersleys year to come, I'm not finished with 1987..