Questions with the prime minister resume in the British House of Commons discussing issues ranging from the recent crisis of a mob in Manchester protesting over the coal labour strike to England’s disdain for Ireland. The Prime Minister secured a deal with the USA to obtain enough coal for the UK to stay warm this winter and as long as the nation needs. The bill the Prime Minister is working on has to do with making union-themed violence a more harshly prosecuted crime and urges the House to vote for this bill. When questioned if Thatcher’s close personal relationship with American president Ronald Reagan influenced the bill, Thatcher responded by defending the strong relationship between the U.K. and the U.S.
Several ministers made suggestions and gave commentary about the hill, most notably Winston Churchill asking the Prime Minister if she thought that increasing interest rates for banks would be an adequate solution to solving the ongoing tense relationship between unions and the government, and the Prime Minister agreed that it was a brilliant idea, and plans to implement it soon.
The conservative party’s stronghold on parliament leads to the dismissal of labour party ideas and policy in the House. Labour party suggestions such as taking away excess spending money from citizens were completely overlooked and outright mocked. When the labour party brought up the leaked note detailing how there are traitors within the conservative party working diligently to oust Thatcher, the Prime Minister simply responded by saying that the conservative party is the dominant party, and the labour party is simply in the bitter majority.
Following the questioning, the ministers debated Thatcher’s commitment to her promises of supporting workers’ rights and dissolving the monopoly unions have on the workforce. Thatcher was devoted to putting an end to union violence, but ministers are unconvinced. The divide between parties looms large over the House and is splitting the objectives like hair. Ministers noted Thatcher’s sentiments to be about dismantling unions when a large faction believes that simply limiting union power is enough. The House of Commons needs to be closely monitored as tensions continue to rise between the parties.