Thursday 14th October 1982
Peter M [Peter Middleton] away - but B/E have exhausted index linked tap + prices rising steeply
E Cttee - Ind Relations Leg - not much to be done
Fast Breedes Reactor (Douneray) will uranium run out? GB ahead of the Field? V. complex
YWS - NT [Norman Tebbit] tried domestic servants - great plea from Janet Y [Lady Janet Young] that they were working mothers and help for the old! PM unhappy with “Indexing” limits [word unclear] to £42 to £47.
I, NT, CP [Cecil Parkinson] + Heseltine discussed election strategy - go for June and avoid the bump of unemployment of youths leaving school - and good inflation results
Lunch Alfred Goldstein
Michael Beesley - DI [Department of Industry] (Bradbury) had completely misrepresented him as against my scheme - not true, he was keen on it.
Alfred Goldstein - PM lunched with P Secs and I asked why I was not there
Secret meeting of PM WW [William Whitelaw] NT [Norman Tebbit] NF [Norman Fowler], GH [Sir Geoffrey Howe] on unemployment - desperately anxious to prevent leaks
- quite silly since [sic]
H/Lords - Chile’s ex foreign Minister Hugh Thomas etc
Simon … MP and Chairman of Foreign Affairs said a DI man said I was holding up the sale because I was insisting on a new procurement policy!
Dinner Ian Gow - wants me to stay on till election - thought Gov of B/E OK but I said it would politicize the post.