A full day of canvassing on a dry but chilly day with five part-time helpers as we hear that the Tory ‘Lady from St Ives’ is standing again. The Soviet plan is to start withdrawing from Afghanistan on May 15th, the British hostages are released from the hi-jacked Kuwaiti airliner, more Palestinians are killed by Israeli troops with a stray bullet killing an Israeli girl as well and the city fraud investigations claim a new victim in David Mayhew
Awoke early and found Diana still in bed for some early morning contact! Then breakfast of wheat flakes and milk, before I scanned the national newspaper for news. Di had taken the car and the girls swimming first thing and was back for 10.00am, when Joe Wilcox and Michael Pope came round to start canvassing. We finished off a number of partial roads and the weather was dry and kind to us again – though very chilly. Home in time for lunch and then Rob Williams was here after to help me, if arriving rather late. I stayed at my desk writing envelopes for the Paxton Hall patients until he arrived. A trying canvass, with Rob full of petty advice and then his wife came over to interrupt us half way through.
Walked home to tea and then, this evening, Rob Williams and Peter White were my helpers. All in all a full day of canvassing and I ended up pleased with the results, but very tired and ready to sleep. Percy came across after his evening’s work and we had a nice rendezvous. The papers were full of my stories today and the good news is Jeanette Green, ‘The Lady from St Ives’ is standing again. The main news today is of the Soviet plan to withdraw from Afghanistan to a timetable that starts on May 15th. There is to be a settlement agreement with the US and USSR as guarantors and Afghanistan and Pakistan as the agreement parties. All of the British hostages have now been released by the hijackers of the Kuwaiti airliner, their relatives show obvious relief, and Thatcher tries to claim the credit. More Israeli troop killings of Palestinians today, as it was discovered that the Israeli civilian girl’s death was in the end caused by an Israeli bullet. Police investigating the Guinness scandal have arrested David Mayhew, Partner in Cazenove Merchant Banks, for illegal activities during the Distillers takeover.