[From Patrick Spilling - our in the underground…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-04-07Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 15 →
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From Patrick Spilling - our in the underground bunker.
PRESIDENT Reagan and his European allies have dismissed as 'mass hysteria' reports that millions of civilians have been killed or fatally injured in a series of nuclear incidents in Britain at the weekend.
The reports came after a swiftly moving sequence of events, which culminated in Defence Minister, Michael Heseltine, declaring that 'People who play into the hands of the Kremlin should be treated accordingly'.
Late last night, Mr. Heseltine issued a statement from 'somewhere well away from Berkshire' in which he said If any nuclear incidents have occurred, - and I'm not saying they have - they were designed to warn the vast majority of sensible people in this country what the Soviet response could be if we followed the naive and dangerous course advocated by CND. I am convinced that as a result of these actions membership of CND has dramatically declined.' Earlier, CND had claimed that up to 100,000 people had taken part in anti-nuclear protests over the holiday weekend. But the organisation last night was unable to provide a spokesperson to counter the government's claims - a point Mr. Heseltine was quick to seize on. 'I am not saying they are all Soviet agents,, he said. "All I am saying is that Andropov and Ruddock have three letters of their names in common.' Mr. Heseltine said he was now willing to debate with the leaders of the Peace Movement, any time, any place - except Berkshire. I have a feeling in my bones they will turn this invitation down, he said.
The government claimed a victory for its civil defence pamphlet 'Protect and Survive' '. Reporters were picked up by military helicopter and flown to Berkshire, where, tor reasons of national security, I am permitted to write only about one building.
We were led to a guest house where the windows had been whitewashed. A notice on the door said 'No Hippies'. Inside, a rosy-cheeked woman, who told us she was making apple pie said they had noticed no inconvenience from any incidents that may or may not have occurred in the alea. 'We followed the instructions in this pamphlet to the letter, and if there was any disturbance, it was drowned out by our video-recording of The Sound of Music,' she said.