An empty station during the 1989 rail strike
An empty station during the 1989 rail strike

A late start to hot and sunny day and then an urgent job in the conservatory as my rubber plant had fallen over. After a series of organising phone calls, I cleared up my office for a good and positive Democrat Committee meeting my house. Nationally, the Tories are critical of their party chairmanship as they lost 13 seats to Labour in the European elections such that an anti-Thatcher coalition will be in charge of the new European Parliament British Rail union members have won a legal battle and be able to strike, the government now plans to replace student grants with an educational loan system

Yet another hot and sunny day and, after a late night staying up to see the European Election results. It is amazing just how consistent the results were across the country and how such a national consensus can emerge. This morning, I was late to breakfast but at least I could eat my meal in peace after the children had gone to school. I had to do a support job in the conservatory – the rubber plant had outgrown its cane and fallen over! I cut the top shoot off to make it bush outside ways. I sorted out my office again this morning and stored the old election and book material for the loft to make the space.

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The next task was a series of phone calls to arrange a car service and MOT, a new valuation survey for Admiral’s cottage, a household buildings insurance and other outstanding matters. This afternoon, I sorted out the camera-ready artwork and photographs returned from my book printers. I had to break off later and clear up for a meeting of the Democrat committee locally at my house. We had a good and positive meeting, despite the election news, and are now pleased to embark on a number of campaigns and renewed newsletters after a summer break. The news today is still full of the political events as the Tory rank and file are full of criticism of the leadership of the Party Chairman, who is in the firing line. The Socialists and Greens are jubilant, but it will be a hard act to follow. Labour won 13 seats from the Tories and now a pan- European anti-Thatcher coalition will be pushing through reforms and a new social policy in the new European Parliament. The High Court has rejected a British Rail action to prevent an official rail strike and ruled that technicalities had not been seriously breached. Meanwhile, the dockers have called their unofficial strike as their union tries to appease a High Court ban on their official action. The government has announced a student educational loan system instead of the previous university grants, in the teeth of harsh opposition from educationalists and students alike.