EXPRESS FINANCIAL TIMES The Daily Orlegraph Stn

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TO: Director General.

From: Controller of News.

Since there is one week before polling day I write to review our coverage of the campaign and outline plans for the next few days.

We can congratulate ourselves on fair and balanced coverage so far. I enclose our breakdown for TV news last night so you can see a typical programme content.

The first items were not about the election as such; Mrs Thatcher being greeted by President Reagan and his speech about the upturn in the world economy, starting in mid-June providing there were no upsets, and police providing armed marde for Tary and SDP BULLO 1VI -. • 1**=J leaders to protect them from IRA runs. in which the trade unionist said he votes Conservative because of communist infiltration of the unions. (Norman suggests we make a feature or two on this theme - 1 have told current affairs).

The SDP was featured with a major speech by David Owen in constituency attacking Labour's defence policy.: He claimed that a vote for Foot was a vote for Andropov. Mrs Shirley Williams said she criticised Tory plans to wind up local authorities although she sympathised with the desire to stop left wing revolutionaries from using ratepayers' monev to finance IRA homhing El Salvador Solidarity Campaign: affiliation £5 for individual: and £10 for organisations, from 29 (01-359 2270) chapel saying how repealing the Tebbit laws could result in the worst kind of lawlessness, but that they should only be repealed if the trade unions agreed to an incomes policy as part of a multilateral agreement.

The second was a speech by Michael Foot on the same platform as that Militant tendency bloke whose name I forget. We had a shot of the Militant saying "comrades' with his arms out.

The next week is of course an important one for broadcasting and I am pleased to be able to to tell you that we have drawn up a programme of events, based on some information available to our reporters about forthcoming speeches and - government announcements.

Thursday June 2: World economic summit ends with communique declaring the recession to be over. "Rate of increase in unemployment will start to accelerate less quickly" • Peter Shore to make speech saying paybeds will be phased out only so long as those in them agree.

Friday June 3: SDP say Labour now finished as opposition party. NOP poll shows Tories 60%; Labour 217; Alliance 19%. Foot says policy on pay beds quite clear. They will be phased out after negotiations with the people in them. Harold Wilson says in televised speech to Horticultural Society that if Britain leaves the EEC unemployment will rise to five million. Tony Benn reported missing to police.

Saturday June 4: Thatcher says Japanese have agreed to sponsor new slimmed down civil service budget. I Labour win election. deal off and unemployment will rise to ten million. Foot says policy on EEC quite clear. Labour would take Britain out, but only if renegotiations with Labour right are successful. Denis Healey in all channel speech to his neighbour over the fence, says Labour's economic policy was worked out on the back of a packet of fags and would make the country bankrupt in a week.

Sunday June 5: Day of rest. Archbishop of Canterbury gives service of thanksgiving for Mrs. Thatcher. Falklands memorial snooker contest televised live on all channels, except Channel 4 which is showing basketball. Mori poll shows Tories 65%, Labour 18%; Alliance 17%. Benn spotted in Bristol.

Monday June 6: Thatcher grants audience to Queen. Queen poses with grandson outside the door of number 10. Thatcher gives Falklands to Prince William as first birthday present. Jenkins says polls show Labour dead and burica. Asked about low rating of Alliance he says he has never attached too much importance to opinion polls. Foot says economic policy quite clear. Labour would strive to get unemployment down after negotiations with the IMI. Benn announces he will be canvassing only his own strect as he thinks politics have become too much of a travelling circus.

Tuesday June 7: Gallop Poll shows Tories 80%, Labour 11%; Alliance 9%. Steel says Labour will now be squeezed between Torics and Alliance. Reagan says' world peace depends on Thatcher being re-elected. Labour NEC votes 14-13 vote of confidence in Foot's leadership for the time being' . Foot abstains. Foot says Single vote sinks Jim-now an election

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