70s News

Crisis plea by Heath

Daily Mail Reporter

The Prime Minister has decided to make a major TV appearance tonight on the ITV programme This Week, to explain the Government’s crisis policies.

Mr Heath is responding to suggestions — like the one in the Daily Mail yesterday—that there is now a vital need for him to speak frankly to the people.

He will also be making a key speech to the Commons next week when he faces a labour motion of no confidence.

It could be that the Government has more shocks in mind after the credit clamp and power emergency. Ministers face pressure to tighten the squeeze even more.

Senior back-benchers were openly predicting yesterday a stiff increase in petrol tax, both as a fuel economy measure and to take more spending out of the public pocket.

Mr Heath feels that he should be seen by the public answering the questions the country wants dealt with both on the State Of Emergency and the shape of the Cabinet’s economic strategy after the shocks of the 13% Bank of England’s minimum lending rate, the squeeze on borrowing and the record trade deficit revealed yesterday.

His aim will be to stress that the basic policy of expansion still lives, however battered by events.

And he will press the Governments case for taking a firm line with the miners after their rejection of a pay offer which could be worth 16.5%.

Clubs, restaurants and cinemas have become early casualties of the Emergency Powers Act, rushed through to combat the fuel and power crisis.

All electric heating and non-essential lighting was switched off at midnight in every shop, office, and entertainment centre.

So far none of the essential services has been hit. Railways, buses, hospitals, fire services and other amenities were operating normally. But every Government building has answered a Ministry demand for a 10% cutback in fuel consumption.

Football League secretary Alan Hardacre also announced that all League games in the country would be brought forward by three- quarters of an hour next Saturday.

In By The Left!

By Wilfrid Sendsll & George Lochhead

112 Votes Decide It

Mr Heath rode home tiumphant last night with a majority of 112 for British entry into Europe, a figure that exceeded all hopes and boosted the aim of winning “full hearted” consent.

The result of 356 votes to 244 was attained by a massive revolt of Labour MP’s, who despite intense pressure and a three line whip , flocked into the Government lobby behind deputy leader Mr Roy Jenkins and left leader Mr Wilson reeling in defeat.

Over one third of Labour MP’s supported the Tory Government either by votes or by abstention, and the Shadow Cabinet itself was split in half. It is a situation which tears open a rift not only in the parliamentary party but with the anti Market trades unions and party conference and must call into question the leadership of Mr Wilson.

After the vote Mr Heath said “Todays’s decision has been reached by a clear majority of the elected representatives of the people, men and women who, irrespective of party political differences, share the conviction that this decision is right for their country.

This is the outcome of years of patient negotiations by Governments of both parties. It marks the of ten years of debate. Now we stand ready to take our first step into a new world full of opportunities.

Our historic decision has been made. The British people accept the challenge. Let us show the ourselves to the that new world as we would wish it to see us, confident, proud and strong.”

The dramatic size of the Government’s majority now makes it extremely difficult for the Tory anti Marketeers to continue the battle against legislation in the coming session to take Britain into the European Community.

As for Labour, Mr Wilson admitted it was a “very disturbing result.” he said he hoped Mr Robert Mellish would stand again for the post of Opposition Chief Whip though Mr Mellish himself was saying he was “seriously considering” whether to accept re-nomination.

Mr Wilson claimed he had been able to work very closely with Mr Jenkins and he would work with the deputy leader “whoever it might be.” He said that “our one first purpose will be to reunite the party as a coherent force.”

Meanwhile the Government Chief Whip, Mr Francis Pym, was happily analysing his figures.

It was calculated that 39 Tories voted against entry with two abstentions while on the Labour side 69 voted for and 19 abstained. A total of 282 Tories voted for entry.

This, it was claimed, meant that the Tory party carried the motion on it’s own by a majority of 38 over all others.

In the House when the final figures were announced a mighty shout if jubilation came from the pro-Europe men, and of course the Prime Minister looked very pleased indeed.

Within the Labour Party, however, was dissension, “Why don’t you cheer with them?” Mrs Barbara Castle snapped at Mr Jenkins. All forgotten were the promises Mr Wilson had made as the six day debate neared it’s end.

“Today,” he had told the House, “is not the end. It is the beginning.”

Then came a pledge on the position of a future Labour Government in the event of Britain joining the Marketin, say, 1973 or 1974.

Mr Wilson said “It is a fact that one Parliament cannot bind it’s successor. But we recognise what is involved in a treaty signature.”

To Labour cheers he went on “We would immediately give notice that we could not accept the terms negotiated by the Tories and, in particular, the unacceptable burdens arising out of the common agricultural policy, the blows to the Commonwealth, and any threats to our essential regional policies.

“If the Community then refused to negotiate, or if negotiations were to fail, we would sit down amicably and discuss the situation with them. The Community could accept, or decide that we should agree to part.”

Shades of Frances’s late President de Gaulle and his vetoes of 1963 and 1967?

Mr Wilson slammed Mr Heath’s claim to have a mandate for Market entry and shouted for
the policy to be decided by “the free vote of a free British people.”

But it was, in the event, decided by the men on the spot. Triumph for Mr Heath. Disaster for Mr Wilson.

Tycoon tells of his gifts of love

The multi-millionaire who said it with £250,000 went to the High Court yesterday to ask for his love gifts back from London society beauty Mrs Patricia Wolfson

They were bought, said 53 year old Ralph Stolkin, American oil tycoon worth £100 Million during an eight month jet-set romance around the world’s capitals with 32-year-old Mrs Wolfson, former wife of a nephew of Sir Isaac Wolfson.

The presents, Mr Stolkin declared, were conditional on their being married.

“I told her I enjoyed giving her these things” said Mr Stolkin “and as long as we were going to be married everything I had was hers anyway”

But he told the judge, Mrs Wolfson broke off the engagement. Now he is seekin the return of gifts worth £250,000, including the Knightsbridge flat.

£4 Million Art Haul Found

£4m Art haul found at Euston

A Man and a woman were charged in London last night with dis-honestly handling four stolen paintings.

Gian Carlo Molo, a 28-year -old barman,and Miss Franca Bakaeva, a 24-year-old interpreter,both of Cliff Court,Cliff Road,Camden Town, will appear at Bow Street court today.

Earlier yesterday four art masterpieces said to be worth an estimated £4 million were found in the left luggage office at Euston Station.

A Transport Police spokesman at Euston said last night “The paintings were wrapped up in a carpet.

“They were left in the left luggage office on Wednesday. They had to be left there because they were far to big to go in any of the lockers”

Chief Detective Inspector Stanley Pitaway. Who is in charge of the Interpol office of Scotland Yard, is in touch with the police in Rome in an effort to identify the paintings.

After the paintings were found three art squad detectives went to an address in Camden Town.

The art squad has been responsible for the recovery of many paintings – including two belonging to the Queen -in recent weeks following the discovery of many paintings stolen from the home counties in a Belgian art shop.

Wardrobe Rescue

Two men trying to cross the Channel in a seven-foot mahogany wardrobe were rescued several miles off Folkestone by a helicopter last night

The pair, Richard Lejeune ,aged 23, of Penge Kent. And a French student,had set off from Calais.

You’ve got to ask the question…. why?

Sinatra Sues for £2m

Magazine caused him “mental pain”
by Philip Finn

Retired singer Frank Sinatra is seeking £2 million damages from a New York weekly over an allegation that he had secretly remarried and was soon to be a father again.

The action was brought today in Manhattan Federal Court.

Sinatra’s lawyers claimed also that he suffered “great mental pain and disturbance”

Over another article in the weekly “Midnight” which alleged that he had cancer.

The court was told that the headline in Midnight dated November 1st – already on sale on the news stands -says “Sinatra married -he’ll be a daddy in March”

The first article in the complaint was alleged to have been published on May 10 bearing a headline saying “Frank Sinatra has cancer”

‘FALSE’

Sinatra charges that the article “Falsely stated” that he had been forced to retire because he suffered from cancer of the throat and within a year would be forced to be confined to a hospital to await death.

The defendants named in the case have 20 days in which to file a reply.

John Vidar, editor of Midnight said today : “Of course we shall defend the action, and I don’t think we have anything to fear”

Sinatra, who is 56, retired earlier this year.

Rejoice for Mr Jackson

Mr Geoffrey Jackson British ambassador to Uruguay, is on his way home.

Safely delivered from eight months incarceration by terrorists.

His ordeal and the sufferings of his family during the months following his kidnapping are impossible to imagine.

What is known is that Mr Jackson and his wife bore the terrible uncertainty of their enforced separation with a faith, dignity, and fortitude that few of us are ever called upon to display.

The British people rejoice in his safe return home.

Close Shave for an M1 Driver

It was quite a surprise for the police patrol car driver – to run into stubble trouble on the M1.

But there he was this motorist in the near side lane, shaving off the 8.25 a.m. shadow with a battery-operated electric razor as he battled along at 45 miles an hour.

The upshot was that close shaving John Mason, a 28 year old motorway catering unit service manager, had yesterday to answer a careless driving summons, at Leicester magistrates court.

Mason, of Lutterworth Road, Gilmorton, pleaded guilty by letter.

At the same time, he said he did not consider shaving while driving was any more serious than smoking a cigarette or using a radio-operated telephone.

“And I stick by that,” he said last night ‘I can see no difference between using one hand to shave with than eating an apple.”

As for the magistrates, they adjourned the case for a fortnight for Mason to appear.

Rofe: No to £80,000

By Norman Giller

Dave Sexton yesterday dangled an £80,000 bait for Orient full-back Dennis Rofe but failed to hook his man. The cash tempted hard up Orient but they rate 20-year-old Rofe in the £100,000 class.

George Petchey, Orient manager, confirmed last night “Chelsea’s Dave Sexton has made a very firm offer for Rofe, but it did not meet our high but realistic valuation of the player. I have been enormously impressed with Rofe and in our last few games he has been in great form. The boy has tremendous potential. I rate him as future international material and consider him a fine prospect for the 1974 World Cup.”

Orient don’t want to lose Rofe but I think they will have to give in and let him go if Sexton comes back with an increased offer. Rofe has for a long time been under the microscope of West Ham who meet Chelsea at Upton Park this afternoon. He’s also on the wanted list of three clubs in the Midlands.

Injury hit Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Peter Bonetti, who is suffering from the after-effects of concussion. John Phillips takes his place. West Ham are unchanged for the fifth successive game. Manchester United will almost certainly have Denis Law back in the attack against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Palace manager Bert Head makes a late selection. He awaits fitness tests of forwards Gerry Queen, Tony Taylor and Alan Birchinall.

Teenager Ross Jenkins stands by to make his debut in the Palace attack Queen fails his test.

Joy of Geoffrey Jackson

“My Lovely World”
Portrait of a man back from the living dead, a happy man on his way home.
Geoffrey Jackson, British Ambassador to Uruguay, was “suspended in time and space for eight months” as captive of Tupamaros guerrillas.

“Suspended” was the description of his wife Evelyn, waiting in Sussex for him to fly in today.

Our man in Montevideo was set free at a church, and he stayed to say a thanksgiving prayer before going to hospital for a check-up.

He is not bitter about his ordeal. He tells local reporters in his fluent Spanish, that he is leaving, as his wife left, “still in love with your country in spite of everything.” And adds “You will see the Jacksons here again.”

But the lost months must leave their scars. For Mr Jackson time stopped still on January 8th and did not start again for 245 days and nights.

In solitary in a people’s prison he had scarily a clue of what was going on outside windowless walls. But in those eight suspended months Uruguay itself was in constant crisis, and the rest of the world duly made it’s history in a scatter of headlines: Moonflight, Ashes, Ulster, Decimals, All Blacks, Rolls Royce and Ulster again.

Geoffrey Jackson dozing in a jetliner on the way home last night had a lot of catching up to do.

Foreign secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Hume will probably head the reception committee at Gatwick. Mrs Jackson will of course be there and their banker son Anthony, “thrilled and delighted.” And the ambassadors twin brothers, Seymour and Frank, doubly pleased.

Geoffrey Jackson phoned his wife as soon as he was freed. Mrs Jackson confessed she did the talking and that he could hardly get a word in edgeways. She thanked the press for being “marvellous” and in Montevideo he repeated that.

Doctors said the 56 year old envoy, who has heart trouble was fit to travel. So in blazer and slacks and with a “V” sign, off he flew, via Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

“One thing he was quite insistent on,” said his son at the family home on Chelsea’s Cadogan Square, “was that he would continue in the Foreigh Service.”

That is after a long rest in England and a slap up party.

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