Read The Downing Street Years Online
Authors: Margaret Thatcher
balance of payments deficit (1988–9), 706
Balfour, Arthur
(Conservative Prime Minister
1902–
5)
, 5
Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD), 464–5, 467
ballots, trade union, 99, 274, 276, 284, 572, 669
Ballygawley bomb (1988), 411
Baltic States, 767, 801
Bancroft, Sir Ian
(Permanent Secretary Civil
Service Department and Head Home Civil
Service 1978–81)
, 47–8
Banda, Dr Hastings
(President of Malawi
1966-)
, 527–8
Bank of England: ‘corset’, 125; Polish crisis, 254; Westland, 426; Hong Kong currency, 489–90; ERM question, 691, 695; exchange rate intervention, 702; Lawson’s proposals, 706–7
bankruptcies, 52
Barnett, Joel, Lord, 637
Basnett, David, 372
BBC: pay levels, 102; Falklands reporting, 181, 214; unilateralism, 267; Milltown Cemetery film, 408; election results forecast (1987), 588; licence fee, 634–7; advertising question, 636; independent producers, 636, 638
Begin, Menachem
(Israeli Prime Minister
1977–83)
, 510n
Begun, Iosif, 484
Beirut bombings (1983), 327–8
Belgium, cruise missiles, 241, 243
Belgrano, see General Belgrano
Belize, British presence, 248
Bell, Tim: election campaign (1983), 287–8; miners’ strike (1984–5), 354; election campaign (1987), 570, 585; community charge discussions, 658; leadership election campaign (1990), 841
Belstead, Lord, 851
benefits,
see
social security benefits
Berlin disco bomb (1986), 443
Berlin Wall, 263, 759, 789, 793
Berrill, Sir Kenneth, 30
Berry, Sir Anthony, 381
Beswick, Lord, 108
Biffen, John
(Chief Secretary 1979–81, Trade
Secretary 1981–82, Leader HC 1982–87):
Chief Secretary to Treasury, 26; public spending cuts, 50; BL, 117; MTFS attitude, 130; Trade, 131; Leader of House, 187; relationship with Howe, 420; quoted, 422, 440, 589; BL, 440; leaves Cabinet, 589
‘Big Bang’, 311
bill mountain, 695, 696
Birmingham Six, 409
Birt, John, 637
Bishop, Maurice
(Prime Minister of Grenada
1979–83)
, 166, 328–9
Bismarck, Otto von, 791
Blackhawk helicopters, 428
Black Monday, 700, 710
Bluff Cove, 226, 233
Boomibol, King of Thailand, 506
Botha, P.W. (
South African Prime Minister 1978–84, State President 1084–89)
, 514–15, 520, 522, 529
Botha, R.F. (‘Pik’) (
South African Foreign
Minister 1977-)
, 514, 529, 532
Boundary Commission, 286
Brandt Commission, 169
Bretton Woods system, 703
Brezhnev, Leonid (
Soviet General Secretary
1964–82):
invasion of Afghanistan, 88; arms control proposals (1981), 159, (1979), 241–2; SALT II Agreement, 245; ‘Brezhnev Doctrine’, 258, 790; cartoon, 324; rise of Gorbachev, 453; Reagan correspondence, 455, 462; era, 458
Brighton Grand Hotel bomb (1984), 368, 371, 379–83, 399, 414
Brilliant
, HMS, 225
Bristow, Alan, 425–6
British Aerospace (BAe), 428, 433, 678, 679–80
British Airways, 283, 678, 679
British Antarctic Survey, 180, 640
British Association of Colliery Managers (BACM), 366
British Gas, 284, 681–2
British Leyland (BL): steel supplies, 101, 112; Edwardes Chairmanship, 114; Corporate Plan, 115–17, 118–19, 120–1; industrial relations, 117–18, 119–20; Wakeham involvement, 311; privatization, 284, 419, 437–41, 678; Varley-Marshall assurances, 438, 679; Rover Group, 679–80
British Medical Association (BMA), 616–17
British Museum, 632
British Nationality Bill, 161, 260
British Petroleum (BP), 50, 316
British Rail (BR), 347, 353, 686–7
British Rail Hotels, 678
British Shipbuilders, 284, 678
British Steel Corporation (BSC): coal supplies, 101; strike (1980), 103, 108–14; costs, 127; privatization programme, 283–4, 678, 679; Ravenscraig steel works, 361–2, 622; miners’ strike (1984–5), 342, 347, 353; dock strikes (1984), 355, 361
British Telecom (BT), 283, 306, 678, 680–1
Britoil, 678
Brittan, Leon (
Chief Secretary 1981–83, Home
Secretary 1983–85, Trade and Industry
Secretary 1985–86, Vice-President EC
Commission 1989-):
Chief Secretary, 131, 309; Home Secretary, 307–8, 418; ‘end-year flexibility’ suggestion, 317; miners’ strike (1984–5), 345–6; Party Conference (1984), 368; Brighton bomb (1984), 381; DTI, 419, 426; Westland affair, 426–36; BL, 438–9; broadcasting, 646; attitude to ERM, 693, 710
Brittan, Samuel, 138
Britto, Keith, 266
Brixton riots (1981), 143–4
broadcasting, 634–8
Broadcasting Act (1989), 636
Broadcasting Standards Council, 636–7
Brogan, Colm, 12
Brooke, Peter (
Conservative Party Chairman 1987–89, Northern Ireland Secretary ’989–92)
, 414, 749, 756, 852
Brown, Harold, 246
Brownlow, Lord, 23
Bruges speech (1988), 742–6, 749, 755, 833
Buckton, Ray, 372
budgets: (1979), 41–5, 50; (1980), 55, 95–6; (1981), 132–9; (1982), 270–1; (1983), 271; (1984), 673, 694; (1985), 673; (1986), 673; (1987), 673; (1988), 673–4; (1989), 674–5; (1990). 622, 675
Bukovsky, Vladimir, 452, 480, 813
Bundesbank, 690, 696, 720, 740, 763, 814
Burke, Edmund, 26, 753, 859
Burnet, Sir Alastair, 291
Burnham, Forbes (
Prime Minister then President of Guyana 1964–85)
, 167
Bush, Barbara, 845
Bush, George
(US Vice-President 1981–89, President 1989–93):
Hungarian visit, 455; nuclear talks, 473; G7, 754, 763–4; relationship with MT, 754, 782–3, 793, 794, 820; Presidential election (1988), 768; administration, 782–4; German reunification, 793, 794, 795, 798–9; attitude to Yeltsin, 804; MT Bermuda meeting (1990), 810; NATO discussions, 810–11; achievements, 813; Kuwait invasion response, 816–21; Gulf War build-up, 823–4, 826; CSCE Conference (1990), 842, 845; MT’s resignation, 857
Buthelezi, Chief Gatsha, 532, 533
Butler, Sir Michael, 720n Butler, R.A., 6n, 12, 43
Butler, Robin (
Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary 1982–85, Cabinet Secretary and Head Home Civil Service 1988-)
, 289, 379, 380, 458, 633
Butskellism, 6
by-elections: Crosby (1981), 153; ‘Falklands factor’, 265; Glasgow Hillhead (1982), 266; Beaconsfield (1982), 266; Mitcham and Morden (1982), 266; Peckham (1982), 266; Birmingham (Northfield) (1982), 266; Bermondsey, 266 (1983); Darlington, 266 (1983); MT’s role, 266–7; Cardiff possibility (1983), 289; Brecon and Radnor (1985), 416–17; Mid-Staffordshire (1990), 658; Eastbourne (1990), 832; Bootle (1990), 838; Bradford North (1990), 838
Byelorussia, 801–2
Cabinet, 25–9; confidentiality, 33; public spending arguments, 123–8; reshuffle (January 1981), 130–1; further dissent, 147–50; reshuffle (September 1981), 150–3; reshuffle (1985), 418–23; reshuffle (1986), 562–3; reshuffle (1989), 754–8; changes after Howe’s resignation (1990), 835; leadership election (1990), 850–5
Cable and Wireless, 678
cable television, 635
Cairns Group, 739
Callaghan, James
(Labour Prime Minister 1976–79):
government defeat, 3–4; election campaign (1979), 10, 288; election defeat, 17–18; Policy Unit, 30n; relationship with Schmidt, 35; leadership resignation, 41; Falklands, 190; election campaign (1983), 296; civil service pay, 417
Camden, London Borough of, 646
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), 267, 293, 424
Campaign Guide
, 286
Camp David, MT’s visit (1984), 466–8; MT’s visit (1986), 472–3
Canada: MT’s visit (1983), 320–2; Constitution, 320; South African sanctions issue, 523
Canberra
, 189, 225
Cancún, ‘North-South’ summit, 167, 168–70, 754
capital punishment, 307, 308, 315
CARICOM, 328
Carlisle, Mark
(Education Secretary 1979–81)
, 151
Carlton Club bomb (1990), 414
Carlton Lecture (1984), 370
Carrington, Peter, Lord
(Foreign Secretary 1979–82):
Foreign Secretary, 27; Rhodesia, 73, 74, 76–7; EC budget, 85–6; Iran-Iraq war, 91; Cabinet reshuffle, 151; US visit (1981), 158; Falklands, 178–9, 185; resignation, 185–6; Defence Review, 249, 250; Polish crisis, 252, 253; attitude to EMS, 692; MT retirement suggestion, 832
Carter, Amy, 68
Carter, Jimmy
(US President 1977–81):
G7, 68, 71; MT’s assessment, 68–9; Rhodesia, 73; Iran hostage crisis, 86, 88, 156, 825; MT’s visit, 86–7; Afghanistan, 87–8; US economy, 123, 693; neutron bomb, 241; NATO, 242; Trident, 245–6, 248
Carter, Rosalynn, 68
Cartledge, Sir Brian
(Ambassador to USSR 1985–88)
, 37, 470
Casaroli, Cardinal, 230
cash planning, 137
Castro, Fidel, 329
Catholic Church, 390, 392, 778, 779
Catto, Henry, 817
Cavaco Silva, Anibal
(Portuguese Prime Minister 1985-)
, 752
Ceauşescu, Nicolae
(President of Romania
1967–89)
, 790
Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB): coal stocks (1981), 142; coal stocks (1984), 341, 343; miners’ strike (1984–5), 347, 350, 353, 358–9, 373; oil- fired power stations, 341, 350; nuclear-powered stations, 341; privatization issues, 682–4
Central Office, 287, 288–9, 291, 421, 574
Central Policy Review Staff (CPRS), 30, 118, 277–8
Centre for Policy Studies, 14
Centre Forward, 416
Challenger
tanks, 825, 828
Channel 4, 635, 636, 637
Channel Tunnel, 345
Channon, Paul
(Trade and Industry Secretary
1986–87, Transport Secretary 1987–89):
DTI, 437, 639; BL, 437, 440–1; Gorbachev meeting, 460; South Africa discussions, 515; leaves Cabinet, 756
Chatham, William Pitt, ist Earl, 10
Chatham dockyard, 251
Chelsea Barracks bomb (1981), 393
Cheltenham speech (1990), 661–2
Cheney, Dick
(US Secretary for Defense
1989–93)
, 818, 821
Chequers, 21, 36–7, 860–1
Chernenko, Konstantin
(Soviet General
Secretary 1984–85)
, 458, 459, 461, 469, 546
Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 498
Chevaline, 244, 245
Cheysson, Claude
(French Minister for
External Relations 1981–84)
, 542
child: abuse, 626, 627; care, 630–1; benefit, 631
Child Support Act (1991), 630
China: MT’s visit (1982), 259–62, 488; Hong Kong sovereignty, 259–62; role, 487; Hong Kong negotiations, 488–95; Tiananmen Square massacre, 494
Chirac, Jacques
(French Prime Minister
1
974–76, 1986–88)
, 729–31, 734–7
Chissano, Joaquim, 527
Chope, Chris, 855
Church of England, 31
Church of Scotland, 704
churches: attitude to education reforms, 593; hostels for young people, 627
Churchill, Winston
(Conservative Prime
Minister 1940–5, 1951–5)
, 23, 193, 468, 481, 483, 829, 851
Cities Policy Group, 282
City Technology Colleges, 592, 593
Civil Contingencies Unit, 356
civil service: interventionist policy, 6; relationship with new government, 18; recruitment freeze, 32; reform, 45–9; strike (1981), 139; pay increase for top civil servants, 417
Civil Service College, 47
Civil Service Commission, 47
Civil Service Department (CSD), 47–8
Civil Service Pay Research Unit, 45
Clark, Alan, 853
Clark, Joe
(Canadian Prime Minister
1979–80)
, 68
Clarke, Kenneth
(Chancellor of the Duchy
1987–88, Health Secretary 1988–90
,
Education Secretary 1990–92):
Cabinet position, 418; election campaign (1987), 584; Health, 614; Education, 614; Health review, 614–16, 756; suitability as successor to MT, 755; Education, 835; leadership election (1990), 852
Clegg, Hugh, 32
Clegg Commission, 32, 44, 44–5
closed shop, 98, 99, 272–3, 275, 669
clothes, MT’s, 80, 162, 164, 458, 575–6, 779. 845
coal industry: dispute (1981), 139–43; pit closure programme, 139–41, 342–3, 344. 357. 377. 686; overtime ban (1983), 342; coal stocks (1983), 343–4; miners’ strike (1984–5), 344–78; coal stocks (1984), 358; electricity privatization, 684, 685; privatization plans, 685–6;
see also
National Coal Board, National Union of Mineworkers
Cockfield, Arthur, Lord
(Trade Secretary 1982–83, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1983–84, Vice-President European Commission 1985–88)
, 547
Coggan, Donald, Archbishop, 31
Cold War, 170–1, 450, 769, 799
Coleman, Professor Alice, 605
COMECON, 457
Common Agricultural Policy,
see
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh, 520- 1
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGMs):
Lusaka (1979), 52, 67, 71, 73–6, 523
Melbourne (1981), 164, 166–7
New Delhi (1983), 332, 491
Nassau (1985), 504, 515, 516–19, 520, 521
London (Special Conference 1986), 520–4
Vancouver (1987), 522–4, 700
Kuala Lumpur (1989), 502, 530–1, 715, 716
communism: Eastern European collapse, 789–90; Soviet Union, 801;
see also
Marxism, socialism
Communist Party, 295
community charge: Baker’s role, 420, 650–1, 652; Ridley’s role, 563; Patten’s role, 602, 656–8; abolition, 642; defects of rating system, 642–7; origins, 647–51; Chequers seminar, 647–9; dual running, 650–2; abandonment of dual running, 651–5; preparing for introduction, 655–8; political crisis, 658–63; Trafalgar Square riot, 661; capping, 663–7; Heseltine and, 666–7; leadership election campaign (1990), 848–9