Kmflett's Blog

What Mrs Thatcher did on May Day Bank Holidays

The May Day Bank Holiday was introduced by a Labour Government in 1978 to fall on the first Monday after May 1^st if it did not itself fall on a Monday.

On May 3^rd 1979 the Thatcher Tory Government was elected.

In recent years there have been numerous calls from the right, one presumes mainly from Thatcherites, for the May Day Holiday to be scrapped and for it to be replaced with a Trafalgar Day or even a Thatcher Day in the Autumn.

Fortunately the Thatcher Foundation Archive provides details of what Mrs Thatcher herself did on May Day Bank Holidays:

Monday May 5^th 1980 Chequers

1030   Hair

1515   Mr. and Mrs. Wolfson and children arrived for tea

1900   Left for London

Monday May 4^th1981

BANK HOLIDAY

[Chequers]

Lunch with Carol, Mark and DT

1630   Left for No. 10.

Monday May 2 1983

1500   Return to London

Supper in flat + three guests

 May Day Public Holidays: 1978-2019: a lasting memorial to Michael Foot

The May Day Bank Holiday on 6th May looks set to be somewhat chilly as often befalls Bank Holidays

The current structure goes back to the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 which recognised the principle of a very small amount of paid time off for the new industrial workforce, and of course bank employees.

The framework has been tweaked since then to add New Year’s Day and differs in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Another recent addition is the May Day Bank Holiday. 2019 is the 41st anniversary of its introduction in 1978 by the Callaghan Labour Government. The Minister responsible was Michael Foot.

The Tories didn’t much like it then and many still don’t. Calls for its abolition and replacement by Trafalgar Day later in the year, or very probably a Thatcher Day are heard from time to time.

The TUC’s view remains that Britain has the fewest public holidays in Europe- but by no means the highest workplace productivity- so a few more holidays in the interests of work-life balance would be a good idea whatever they are called. That is now official Labour Party policy too.

May Day has been a traditional day of celebration, both of spring and of Labour and it is marked in one or other and sometimes both contexts around the world.

The introduction of the official holiday in 1978 did not come without some issues.

Firstly a labour movement tradition has been not to work on May Day, or at least the afternoon of MayDay so people could actually walk out of work, even if this meant taking unofficial strike action.

The traditional London May Day March is still held on the day itself, and prior to 1978 strike action in some years was quite widespread.

The appearance of the official holiday can be seen as a way of trying to stop such- to those in authority- unfortunate occurrences.

At the same time the complaint of many in the labour movement was that the bank holiday was only on May Day itself if it coincided with a Monday. Otherwise it was on the next available Monday- this year May 6th.

It is interesting to look back on views of that May Day 40 years ago- when incidentally a BBC report complained that too many shops and public venues were shut to make it enjoyable. This was a feature of all British public holidays until very recently.

Fortunately we can do this via a House of Lords debate on the holiday that took place on May 9th 1978.

The debate was led off by Viscount Davdison who asked the question whether the Government thought having a May Day bank-holiday was ‘wise’ and whether they planned to continue with it.

The Tory Peer claimed that the idea of having a public holiday on May Day was a matter of ‘political ideology’.

Lord Wallace for Labour pointed out that the Christian church had for centuries celebrated May 1st as the day of St Joseph the Worker so the decision to have a UK public holiday was clearly a ‘very respectable’ one.

He went on to point out that the only bad thing about the 1978 May Day holiday had been that it rained but even the then Lib-Lab Pact could not control the elements. In response Lord Alport demanded that if the Government planned to persist with a May Day holiday they must act to ensure that the weather was better. It would be very optimistic to think that the present administration can forecast or influence the weather.

One might have thought the Thatcher Government after 1979 would have abolished the May Day holiday. Checking the Thatcher Archive however one finds that on Monday May 4th 1981 Mrs T enjoyed lunch with Denis, Mark and Carol, happy as others to have a day off.

In the meantime raising a glass to the late Michael Foot on 6th May seems entirely appropriate

Beard Liberation Front press release

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

5^th May

Judd Trump must avoid shaving error of Gary Wilson to win World Snooker Championship

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that it is backing the beard power of Judd Trump to shave John Higgins for the World Snooker Championship on Monday.

If Trump wins he will be the first champion to wear a beard on the final day of the Championship.

The campaigners say that Gary Wilson was on course for a place in the final when he suddenly trimmed his beard overnight at the semi-final stage and as a result lost to Trump

The BLF says that a beard at top level snooker can be positioned to promote air currents that help players to pocket balls through aerodynamic influence.

BLF organiser Keith Flett said, Judd Trump must stay away from all barbers overnight. If he has his beard on Monday beard power can see him win the Championship

The Ambridge Socialist

5th May

Can PC Burns pass the Ambridge fit for purpose test?

PC ‘Knacker’ Burns has passed his exam to be a Sergeant. However before progressing he must take a test of his practical judgement. Is he Ambridge ready as a Sergeant? In the past there have been errors of judgement. He has failed for 4 years to solve the mystery of some bunting stolen in the village. More recently he arrested a member of the Archer Dynasty, Freddie Pargetter. His judgment must improve

To be Ambridge ready as a Police Sergeant who should PC Burns arrest?

The Ambridge Socialist

All the news of the class struggle in Borsetshire

5^th May

Where are the proletarian figures in Ambridge after Joe Grundy RIP?

After the sad departure of Joe Grundy, Ambridge faces a crisis in respect of its proletarian characters. Ed Grundy is also around (at the moment) while Jazzer is pondering his future under the guidance of the Professor. Otherwise while ruling class youth of various kinds predominate proletarians are hard to find. Perhaps Chris Carter might be counted but his parents have moved up into the next class (or think they have). Will Grundy being a working-class Tory and forelock tugger doesn’t count.

Of the female proletarians of Ambridge Clarrie Grundy stands tall as ever but the new generation looks more problematic.

The Art Club

Saint Shula has convened an Art Group but has found that dissent rules as it often does in Ambridge. However Freddie has uncovered the paintings and possibly the etchings of his late father in the loft of Lower Loxley. The further views of leading Ambridge artist Call Me Russ are awaited.

The Bunting is back…

A further fragment of the bunting stolen almost 4 years ago has been found in the village. We renew our call on PC Burns to return the remainder forthwith

So. Farewell then Natasha??

It appears that Natasha has finally had enough of Tom and the stifling world that is the Archers Ambridge. She has managed to stay away for a week which is a start

Is Russ still alive?

Each week we check to see if Call Me Russ has survived another week of living at Lower Loxley with Freddie back in situ:

Week 6: yes

In other news

A bailiff has appeared to demand outstanding rent money for the flat that Lily but mainly Call Me Russ occupied in Manchester…

Jazzer is planning an appearance at Birmingham Employment Tribunal. If the matter progresses the Ambridge Socialist will comment further

Beard Liberation Front

5th May

Media Release contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Campaigners announce start of revamped 2019 Beard, Shorts & Sandals Season

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the 2019 Beard, Shorts and Sandals will start on Sunday 5th May.

The campaigners say that thanks to indifferent weather it is a later start to the Season than in some recent years.

The BLF says that it has relaxed guidelines for the 2019 season and brought in a new framework governing types of footwear, length of shorts and the controversial issue of socks:

1] Shorts may be half length (to the knee) or three-quarter length-‘culottes’. The length of shorts is particularly important as climate change may mean that unprotected legs get sunburnt.

2] Footwear should be casual. There is a considerable range of sandal type footwear now available. Some leaves parts of the feet and toes open to public view, while some does not. The BLF is not prescriptive about the matter.

3] Socks should generally not be worn. However if the beard, shorts and sandals are to be displayed in busy urban areas it is likely to be prudent to wear closed rather than open casual footwear and ankle socks, not visible to others may be worn.

4] There is no prescription or definition on what type of beard may be worn, or how this may match with the shorts and sandals. This is left up to the individual.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, the Beard, Socks and Sandals season has been a major influence on summer fashions in recent times and we hope that with better weather forecast people can now flaunt their beards and legs prudently in public together with stylish shorts and sandals or casual shoes.

The left and the media. From Harold Wilson to Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn

Criticism of the way the media covers the Labour Party is not new.

Harold Wilson, fed up with criticism, wanted the political editor of the Observer Nora Beloff in the 1960s sacked. He failed but Wilson remained very suspicious of the media. His first spin doctor (in 1963/4) Tony Benn had lifelong concerns.

On 3rd May 1979 there was a General Election. Jim Callaghan’s Labour Government had fallen on a vote of confidence (by one vote) at the end of March 1979.

The Tories won 339 seats and Labour 269 seats (Liberals 11). Tony Benn wrote in his diary:

My majority went down (in Bristol) from over 9,000 to 1,890; the Liberal vote slumped and the Tories picked up the extra votes.. I declined steadfastly to go on any of the Election post-mortem programmes. The media was utterly corrupt in this Election, trying to make it a media event

The media continued to attack Labour under the leadership of Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock but was notably kinder in the New Labour period. Some might say this was because New Labour’s policies were much closer to what media owners wanted. No doubt there is truth in that but there was also an understanding of how the media worked and how it could be used to positive effect at least in the first years.

That has gone again and the bias against Jeremy Corbyn lies not just in many of the paper’s Editorial policies but also in the information that feeds news stories for example from the studies of political scientists.

A recent study by Peter Allen at the University of Bath found that the biases of leading political scientists were having an unfortunate impact on the quality of the research they produced:

https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/publications/political-science-punditry-and-the-corbyn-problem

The world however moves on. People don’t necessarily get their information from the mainstream media, for better and sometimes worse, so the biases that may have helped to stop Neil Kinnock or Ed Miliband reaching No.10 may be less significant now

Tony Benn on Thatcher’s Election victory 40 years ago today: 3^rd May 1979

On 3^rd May 1979 there was a General Election. Jim Callaghan’s Labour Government had fallen on a vote of confidence (by one vote) at the end of March 1979.

The Tories won 339 seats and Labour 269 seats (Liberals 11). Tony Benn wrote in his diary:

3^rd May

My majority went down (in Bristol) from over 9,000 to 1,890; the Liberal vote slumped and the Tories picked up the extra votes.. I declined steadfastly to go on any of the Election post-mortem programmes. The media was utterly corrupt in this Election, trying to make it a media event

4^th May

A dramatic day in British politics. The most right-wing Conservative Government and leader for 50 years; the first woman Prime Minister. I cannot absorb it all

Beard Liberation Front press release

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

3^rd May

Pogonophobia may be an issue as Beard of Ireland Lee Reynolds loses Belfast Council seat

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that it is concerned that pogonophobia may have been an issue as Beard of Ireland 2019 Lee Reynolds lost his Belfast Council seat today.

Reynolds was eliminated on the 5^th Count for Titanic DEA after receiving just 586 first preference votes.

Reynolds won the annual public on-line vote for Beard of Ireland in March as competition bristled for the accolade.

The campaigners say that Northern Ireland politics which 50 years ago was very clean shaven has become considerably more hirsute. It welcomes beards across the party spectrum but is not a party political campaign

BLF organiser Keith Flett said, it may be that Lee Reynolds defeat was related to quite other matters than his beard. It is however a concern that the current Beard of Ireland should lose a public position and suggests that there is still work to do in combating pogonophobia in Northern Ireland

BBC Report

DUP lose seat on Belfast City Council

Belfast City Council

Jayne McCormack

BBC News NI

The DUP’s group leader on Belfast City Council, Lee Reynolds, has lost his seat.

He only received 586 first preference votes. He was excluded on the fifth count. He had moved from the Balmoral DEA to Titanic, where the DUP had hoped to pick up three seats. It looks like they will still get two seats, with George Dorrian already returned and Adam Newton on course to be elected.

Local Election results: reading the runes. From Brexit to Austerity

As usual the results of local elections held in some parts of England and Northern Ireland (the latter not analysed by the UK media obviously…) on 2^nd May (not in London, Scotland or Wales) have been analysed and over analysed all day and there is a BH weekend for more to come..

Turn-out in local elections has been low for a long time and 2019 wasn’t an exception. In some cases it was as low as 15% with 30%+ quite rare. That allowed in a handful of cases (Barnsley, Epping) fascists to get elected (although they usually don’t hang around for a full term before they are arrested or just disappear).

Its worth keeping that turn-out figure in mind though in a week when a ballot of the PCS union for industrial action on civil service pay was declared void. 78% voted for action but the turn-out of 47% didn’t meet the 50% threshold which the Tory Government imposes to frustrate legitimate industrial action.

Its also worth keeping the turn-out figure in mind when the usual suspects extrapolate the 2^nd May results to General Election seats. Forget it. The turn-out in a General Election will be in the 70%s not the 20%s. Understand the local election results in their own right or not at all

The BBC has a useful guide to the fortunes of parties in local elections since 1968 here (although its from 2006)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4966160.stm

1968 in London was the worst possible result for Labour, while 2005 saw 2018 Tory seats lost (House of Commons figures). The 2019 results look set to be their second worst in the modern era.

Brexit has been suggested as the backdrop to the fortunes of the parties in 2019 but that seems less than entirely obvious. The LibDems have done well, but in reality they have simply regained some (but far from all) of the huge ground they lost thanks to their participation in Government with the Tories.

Its as likely that the Tories have been punished as much for implementing austerity policies as Brexit (the two are obviously not entirely unrelated in quite complex ways).

That leaves the question of why Labour did not do better (it didn’t do badly but didn’t capitalise in some areas on Tory losses- in some areas it did however.) what the rise in Green Councillors will mean and the significance of the rise of independent councillors.

All local Councils have struggled to maintain services and jobs in the face of still existing Tory austerity. Tory Councils have simply cut, and so have many Labour ones (albeit more reluctantly). The number of Labour Councils who seek to try and do something different is limited. I live in one Haringey (dubbed the first Corbyn Council by the media) and the Guardian’s Aditya Chakrabortty has highlighted the work done in Preston.

Unless Labour can break out of the remain/leave axis and show that austerity can be fought by people who support either its not harnessing discontent. This would mean activity outside of the electoral framework Ive used here. The austerity question is I suspect part of the reason for the rise of Independent Councillors (not it should be underlined related to Change UK!) and a challenge to a new layer of Green Councillors to demonstrate how they can effectively challenge austerity locally.

As ever we shall see..

Keith Flett qualified as a politics teacher in 1979 just as Mrs Thatcher got elected and appointed Sir Keith Joseph as Education Secretary. He has convened the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London since 1993 and is a confirmed supporter of Eric Hobsbawm’s view that socialist historians should be historians of the present