Word: kinnocks
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Under Neil Kinnock, 45, a balding, red-haired Welshman, the ever squabbling Labor Party managed to increase its seats in the House to 229 from the 209 it won in 1983, though last week's showing was still the party's second worst in more than a half-century. The most disappointed loser was the Liberal-Social Democratic Alliance, which had become a third force in British politics in its six years of existence. Led by the Liberals' David Steel and the Social Democrats' David Owen, the Alliance had aimed to eclipse Labor as the main opposition party. Instead...
...senior Conservatives accused Party Chairman Norman Tebbit of poor organization, arguing that the government failed to control the issues and too often campaigned defensively. Other Tories fretted that Labor's advertising, notably the ten-minute television broadcasts allotted free to each party, was superior. One program, a profile of Kinnock by Hugh Hudson, director of the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, portrayed the Labor leader as compassionate toward the young, old and disabled while tough on militants in his own party. Shortly after it was shown, Kinnock's rating as an "impressive campaigner" shot up 19 points...
...17th century Composer Henry Purcell. All in all, many Britons agreed with Independent Television News' Jon Snow, who declared, "The campaign has become Americanized." Labor put on a strong show by adopting staged events, photo opportunities and other techniques refined by Thatcher four years ago. Last week, for example, Kinnock swung a cricket bat, signed a shovel at a muddy construction site and carried a six-year-old girl on his shoulders. For her part, Thatcher viewed an antique-doll collection, climbed aboard an amusement-park ride and sipped a beer at a Scottish brewery...
...final days, the campaign also grew ugly. Kinnock called Thatcher a "would-be empress" surrounded by "spineless sycophants and doormats." Thatcher responded, "They are accusing us of having the guts and spine to put our policies forward." Both candidates traded charges about who would run the country's economy, schools, housing and National Health Service better. Thatcher, for example, defended private health coverage as "absolutely vital," so that she could go to the hospital "at the time I want and with the doctor I want." Michael Meacher, Labor's chief health spokesman, called that a "callous, inhumane and selfish" stance...
...that possibility receded as their campaign failed to ignite. Steel and Owen added to their problems by disagreeing over possible participation in a coalition government. Steel called it "unimaginable" to support the Tories, while Owen wanted to keep all options open. They patched up the split, but Thatcher and Kinnock dismissed the coalition prospect out of hand. Said Kinnock: "There'll be no deal, no horse trading...