Tuesday 3 March 1981
IT discussion with MT, KJ [Sir Keith Joseph], WW [Willie Whitelaw], CS [Lord Christopher Soames], Ken Baker, Leon Brittan, Robin Ibbs. ... During the meeting, Christopher Soames, next to me, passed a note, saying “Isn’t it hell having to sit through these meetings without saying a word? It would kill me.” Of course there’s nothing to stop me if I have anything to say, but I wrote an enigmatic [reply] “It depends on the subject”. Lunched alone in the canteen and after lunch I hand wrote a first draft of our “ultimatum letter” for NS [Norman Strauss], AW [Alan Walters], DW [David Wolfson] to read, in preparation for tomorrow’s discussion - just to clear our minds.