Elton John has "complicated Labour" image in UK: New papers

London, Dec 31 (ANI): A computer glitch had brought Britain to the brink of nuclear war, and the UK Prime Minister had once planned to jail union leaders, and Elton John was said to be Labour but projected a "complicated image"-all these revelations have come from recently released government papers.

Cabinet and other government papers from 1979 are released revealing sensational insights into the private goings on inside Whitehall.

Michael Dobbs, a former aide to both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, has put forth some of the highlights.

He revealed that in November 1979, computer systems in North America and Britain went haywire, showing a massive Soviet nuclear attack was in progress.

However, the Armageddon was eventually postponed.

1979 was the year of Margaret Thatcher and the released cabinet papers show many different sides to her.

The preceding winter - The Winter of Discontent, as it became dubbed - was one in which Britain was brought to its knees by strikes.

Food and fuel supplies were stopped, ambulances were turned away at hospital gates, cemeteries locked and rubbish piled high in rat-infested streets.

The newly released papers reveal that Labour considered detailed and draconian plans to declare a state of emergency, rush through restrictive new laws that could send union leaders to prison, and even bring in troops to take over essential services.

Yet Labour proved spineless and months later were kicked out of office, which proved Thatcher's chance and she ushered in revolutionary union reforms.

The papers also revealed Labour's situation during the 1979 election.

Labour's disastrous preparations for the election are revealed in a minute to the party leader Jim Callaghan from his chief policy adviser.

"You should not be disheartened by the latest polls which suggest an average Tory lead of around 10 points," the Daily Express quoted the paper as saying.

Then, the paper quickly showed the desperation and dishonesty, saying: "The Tories either have no policies, or where they have policies, they are bad and frightening. They are threatening to charge heavily for being in hospital."

It then suggested that Prime Minister Jim Callaghan appear on television surrounded by "popular public figures" such as Brian Clough and Marjorie Proops.

"Elton John is said to be Labour, but he has a complicated image," claimed the paper. (ANI)