Word: biffen
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...recent days Thatcher's lieutenants have been forced to come to her defense and counter charges that she lacks savvy political advisers and will not tolerate any view different from her own. "She does listen," insisted House of Commons Leader John Biffen. The Prime Minister leaves no doubt that she sees governing as a constant battle. "It is not the beginning of the fight that matters," she contends. "It is fighting until it is well and truly finished...
...term into a clear blueprint for her second. Increasingly, the criticism has come from her own party. The most serious challenge was on the economic front. Last June, Thatcher campaigned on a hastily drafted manifesto calling for, among other things, reductions in taxes and government spending. Last week John Biffen, a leader in the House of Commons, publicly criticized the policy. In a television interview, he cast doubt on the government's ability to cut taxes, and made it clear that he was utterly opposed to doing so at the expense of social welfare programs...
...been called in to investigate, and Simon Regan was promising his full cooperation. Said the Prince's solicitor, Matthew Farrer: "We are quite satisfied that the telephone conversations of which this purports to be a transcript did not take place." That afternoon, British Secretary of Trade John Biffen banned the import of the offending issue. By Friday night, Charles and Diana had seen all of Die Aktuelle's transcripts. Their verdict: all were fake...
...their camping stove, lest there be no fuel next winter in their Kensington flat. And in the two days after Howe delivered his budget message to Commons, the Financial Times stock index dropped 27 points. The Tories stoutly defended their drastic action. "This is a severe package," conceded John Biffen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. "But the severity is made necessary by the situation we inherited...
...share Joseph's fiscal views. Sir Geoffrey Howe, 52, a former left-wing Tory long since converted to tight money and tax cuts, became Chancellor of the Exchequer. John Nott, 47, a tough Cornishman once fired by Heath as too inflexible, became Secretary for Trade and Prices. John Biffen, 48, a deceptively shy but zealous right-wing purist and nationalistic opponent of the Common Market, was named Chief Secretary of the Treasury, in effect, director of the budget. Thatcher's one concession to the moderates on the economic front: confirming James Prior, 51, as Employment Secretary. A ruddy...