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The first decade or so of the UK's National Health Service (NHS), which began on Jul. 5, 1948, was trouble-free, partly because public expectations were low, but also because of the determination of some members of the medical profession to make it work. Any serious opposition to the NHS had disappeared by the late 1950s and the explosion of biomedical knowledge and technology brought new hope to millions in the 1960s. However the golden age of post-war medicine came to an end in the 1970s, and the market reforms introduced on Apr. 1, 1991, have not eliminated the NHS's fundamental problems.

The UK general election to be held on Apr 9th, 1992, could mark the end of 13 years of Conservative government during which the British economy moved from unprecedented boom to severe depression. Facts and figures are presented charting the economy's progress and detailing changes in government spending priorities as well as key events of the Conservatives' 13-year reign and the state of British society. The election sees the retirement of many long-standing political personalities and the new intake of Members of Parliament will be different in character.

'Leading the Left' by Peter Shore is to be published this week. The novel includes studies on eight Labour leaders since Ramsay MacDonald. Shore's career with the Labour Party began in the research department, and includes the positions of Shadow Chancellor to Foot, trade spokesman to Kinnock, and two unsuccessful attempts at party leadership. Details of Shore's depiction of John Smith and Neil Kinnock are included.

Ihave spent most of my working life as a political journalist. I started my journalistic career on a local weekly paper. After a gap to improve my education I became industrial reporter for Tribune. For ten years I worked under Lord Beaverbrook at the Daily Express. Through a couple of lucky breaks I was made the political correspondent shortly after I started there. After Beaverbrook's death in 1964 I moved to the Guardian. During my career I have seen radical political changes in Parliament and the small lobby system has become a mass meeting for journalists.

From Mr Ian M. Aitken. Sir, Reading Friday's and Saturday's Financial Times in tandem apropos the Equitable Life debacle, I was immediately struck by the casual and uncaring attitude apparently [...]

KGB defectors Oleg Gordievsky and Vasili Mitrokhin appear to be continuing to try to destabilise western democracies by claiming that the former editor of the Tribune newspaper, Dick Clements, was an influential KGB agent. Oleg Gordievsky is believed to have previously informed the Sunday Times newspaper that Michael Foot was a KGB spy, with the newspaper losing the subsequent libel case. Foot is not mentioned in Mitrokhin's espionage files, but the Sunday Times has also published Mitrokhin's revelations about Clements.

Harold Wilson, who dominated British politics during a long period as Labour Party leader and prime minister, showed an uncanny ability to convince both pro-Europeans and anti-Europeans that he was essentially on their side. Wilson's 1964 election campaign was fought on an anti-European platform yet he became convinced quite early on in his first term as prime minister that Britain's future lay in the Common Market. The methods with which Wilson held his party together before and after Britain's entry into Europe could be described as unprincipled and devious, but equally can be seen as brilliant politics.

The Sunday Times story claiming that former UK Labour Party leader Michael Foot was a KGB agent of influence is no more than a smear, with even the newspaper's editor having admitted that he does not personally believe it. The allegations, published on Feb. 19, 1995, are based on a few gossipy meals with Soviet diplomats plus alleged Soviet donations to Tribune, a paper with which Foot has long been associated. However Mikhail Lyubimov, the former London, England, KGB man alleged to have made the payments to Tribune, has categorically stated that no such donations were made.

Tony Benn's failure to be re-elected as a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) on which he had served for 34 years, reflects the party's move away from its idealistic roots. Benn was a prime force in the introduction of legislation enabling hereditary peers to renounce their titles and helped introduce the referendum into the British system ofgovernment. He was also influential in changing the way in which the Labour Party chooses its leader. However, Benn's public reputation is primarily as a trouble-maker with very left-wing views.

Left-wing weekly newspaper, Tribune, that began publishing in Jan 1937 is getting a new editor, Mark Seddon. Nye Bevan became editor during the war and the paper was used as a vehicle for criticising prime minister Winston Churchill. Bevan engaged George Orwell as literary editor and this had the additional benefit of attracting other writers such as Priestley and E M Forster. Drops in circulation almost led to failure in 1951 but, after government resignations over the health service, it suddenly became the hub of the Bevanite movement and prospered. In the 80's it was challenged by Militant and Socialist Worker and now, after four election defeats for Labour, it needs a new goal.

Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown's call for closer links between Labour and the Liberal Democrats to create a more effective opposition to the Conservatives should not be taken too seriously. Its timing during Labour's preoccupation with a leadership contest suggests that Mr Ashdown is primarily seeking publicity, particularly as he has previously poured scorn on Labour's policies. Additionally, such links would need the support of Liberal Democrat voters, but Mr Ashdown cannot rely on this since he has been responsible for emphasising the two parties' differences.

The UK 1992 general election campaign has been marked by a lack of hope and inspiration, which was formerly an essential element of electioneering. The Conservative Party have run a negative campaign, while the Labor Party, sensitive to accusations that it is unused to power and therefore unfit to govern, is stressing the solidarity and dependability of its leaders. Labor Party Leader Neil Kinnock should be featured more prominently in the campaign to give it more inspiration.

The Conservatives' election propaganda includes a glossy paperback entitled 'Who's Left' which aims to publicise how far Labour MPs seeking re-election have been associated with 17 causes identified as 'left-wing.' Labour spokesmen have denounced the book.

A public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) increase to 1.2 billion pounds sterling in December 1991 instead of an expected fall reveals a miscalculation. The borrowing requirement to the 3rd qtr 1991-1992 is 8.4 billion pounds more than 1990-91. This high public expenditure negates Conservative criticisms of Labour's spending policy. There are no promises of spending cuts.