The end of an era: Diaries, 1980-90

As Secretary of State for energy, Tony Benn was concerned with a major dispute at Windscale and as President of the EEC Energy Council, his time was taken up with decisions about oil policy and nuclear power. Discussions in Cabinet concentrated on the volatile international scene, President Carter's reappraisal of American nuclear and foreign policy, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, mounting difficulties with the Common Market and Britain's disputed membership of the European Monetary system. On the domestic front there was growing evidence of anti-democratic intelligence activity.