Economy: Alan Walters diary (budget) [thinks Heseltine's article on riots “quite dreadful”; thinks Heseltine trying to get PM on his side against treasury][released 2012]

Document type:	Declassified documents
Source:	Walters MSS (Churchill Archives Centre): WTRS 3/1/1
Editorial comments:	Read other entries from this diary. View all Walters documents. The original diary can be studied here
Importance ranking:	Major
Word count:	94
Themes:	Monetary policy, Public spending & borrowing, Law & order, Media

Tuesday 25th August 1981

Heseltine s piece on Toxteth “It took a riot” is quite dreadful. No analysis at all. Very secret but apparently leaked by Heseltine to press to get PM on his side against Treasury. JH [John Hoskyns] sent note to PM - saying OK on some issues (eg. eliminating the GLC [Greater London Council] and metrop councils [Metropolitan Councils] but very poor stuff. She agreed - but what is to be done. MH [Michael Heseltine] is a very vain man - sees Toxteth as a basis for projecting himself. Sees Merseyside as a tourist attraction.