WITH my strong interest in history I am researching the Lord Geoffrey Howe Conservative Budgets and the economic situation faced by people between 1979 and 1983. I lived through it and have my own memories of that period. If anyone would like to send me their own memories or experiences of that period I would appreciate it very much.

Can anyone remember the Labour claim made before the 1979 election that the Conservatives would double VAT? There was a strong denial as VAT at that time was 12.5 per cent on luxury items and eight per cent on other VAT. However in the first budget Howe put VAT up to 15 per cent, not quite double the lower rate. He did reduce the income tax basic rate from 33p to 30p but increased interest rates from 12 to 14 per cent and increased prescription charges from 20p to 45p.

The 1980 budget delivered in a recession was hailed as the meanest budget since 1931 and again there was an outcry about an increase in prescription charges.

The 1981 budget saw the abolition of the 25p rate introduced by Labour abolished and Michael Foot described the budget as a “no hope budget by a no hope Chancellor” and was to see a Conservative MP cross the floor to the SDP. A few weeks later riots broke out on the streets.

Or how in 1982 the Falklands War only a few weeks away and with over three million saved the extremely unpopular Thatcher government by deflecting criticism of the Chancellor as having no understanding of the unemployment catastrophe he was presiding over.

The 1983 budget, the last by Howe, saw personal tax allowance raised 8.5 per cent above inflation, sort of a remedy for the pain of previous budgets.

I am looking for people to remember personal accounts of how this affected/benefited them or if it caused them any hardship? For example, I like many of my friends was made redundant, in my case due to the threat of a windfall tax levied on North Sea oil, the company I worked for was making cranes and other equipment for oil rigs, so due to the rumour my work quickly ceased. I was annoyed as the windfall tax was in fact introduced in the budget in 1981, but by then the damage had been done and within a matter of weeks heavy engineering began contracting rapidly almost to the point of extinction.

I had a £12,000 mortgage (a fortune then) and my children were toddlers, even as a highly skilled professional engineer I had little prospects of work. Difficult times as I remember and not uncommon for that time.

Anything that you can remember (if you were on a Manpower scheme or a YOP) please send your recollections and contact details by letter to me via the Swindon Advertiser, or email GWR175@rocketmail.com.

(Coun) STEVE WAKEFIELD Toothill and Westlea