John Biffen has led a Tory House of Commons protest
John Biffen has led a Tory House of Commons protest

Up in time to see Daniel and Debbie off to school and then, after checking the stock markets to watch the shares fall, started phoning around boat yards to investigate our requirements which was positive and then got Diana to collect a Classic Car magazine to look at cars before transcribing more tapes again. The SDP/Liberal merger negotiations stall and Tory back-benchers rebel over the planned child benefit freeze,  John Biffen leads a revolt in support of a reform of the Official Secrets Act and more stories emerge of patients let down over lack of NHS funding. Israel is illegally Deporting Palestinians and Customs Officers seized more cocaine last year than in the five previous years put together

I had a wakeful night at times, cold, even after my electric blanket had done its work and woken by the strong winds that whistled through the gaps in the French windows. Got soundly off in the early hours, but then Di woke me with my early tea. Funny thing, I felt sick at that point but, apart from being tired, I soon felt well enough. Struggled down in my dressing gown and pyjamas for a small bowl of wheat flakes and milk and then saw the oldest children off to Kimbolton School. Got showered and dressed in slow time and then found the morning paper and post and read them both until about 10.00am. Then from the occasional chair to my desk, where I used the Prestel set to scan the stock exchange. The markets were down overnight and were down here at first too, though they recovered most of the loss eventually. I then phoned a few boatyards about the type of boat we are ideally seeking. I found them all at the Boat Show and telephoned Richard Allen of Buckden Marina at their stand there. I explained our requirements, but he interrupted me and said that they are planning to produce 32 and 35ft river boats and I will go and see them next week.

I also spoke to Mick Jones’ lady in St Ives and later talked to a boat hull moulding company, who say they can probably quote too. It therefore looks as if my boat specification is more than a pipedream. I also phoned to order a subscription for the magazine, ‘Classic Cars’, and found that the February edition is out and at the St Neots newsagents. I tracked down Diana at Longsands laundrette, telephoned her there and got her to pick up a copy on her way back. She was late back for lunch and I broke off and helped her with Daniella, as she put her weekend shopping away and made the lunch. I read the magazine and listened to the TV news, to see an appalling dilemma emerging over the Alliance negotiations that was fully reported later. This afternoon I settled down to a long job transcribing the rest of tape IV and half of tape V and I will be glad to see the end of the process. I went out and fed the birds after afternoon tea. It had been raining today, but the gardener had progressed and has now edged 1/3 of the final games lawn side. The children managed their first day back at school, but Debbie is still upset at her school lunches and we agree to her having cheese rolls instead. The news today was of a floundering negotiation between the Liberal and SDP parties. They had stayed in a meeting until 4.00am this morning, then ran into trouble with the results this morning as, first, four Liberal negotiators walked out and then Liberal MPs refused to accept the policy document, with the merged party launch press conference delayed from midday to 5.00pm. Then an announcement that the merger had been postponed for a cooling off period. But then the party assemblies will soon be held............ Overnight there was a government back-bench rebellion, as some 30 Tory MPs fail to support the freeze on child benefit, with about 16 actually voting against the Bill. After the government’s changes towards flexibility with the nurses, Doctors have seen the Health Minister to call for more Health Service funding. They say he accepts that the NHS does need more resources. The argument is between the money coming from private insurance or increased taxation and expenditure. Tonight, John Biffen has led a Commons protest over the unprecedented 3-line whip by the government to oppose a Tory Private Member’s Bill, intended to reform the Official Secrets Act. Israel has helicoptered four Palestinian ‘deportees’ into the neutral zone and abandoned them there, in defiance of International Law and political opinion. Matthew Collier, the boy having his heart operation after long delays, is ‘critical’ in the intensive care unit after the operation, but there were no complications. He had waited since September and he is 4. Customs Officers seized more cocaine last year than in the five previous years put together.