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It is getting harder and harder to pretend that anyone cares-but it was royal revelation week again.

The headline writers have and eye on posterity, in the hope that a future Dimbleby will pick their front page as croof that the 'nation' sweated over whether Margaret would stay or go.

Leader writers calculated * hich possibility would shake the Royal foundations least.

We will leave it to Socialist Challenge to finally assert which were the progressive ections of the monarchy.

Until then we will have to remain neutral, and hope. Even the Dales were taken off he air eventually.

Scabbing

It was also a week in which a man charged with killing his wife was provided with a partial motive that he das stabbing on an NUJ dispute and was at the time under a great deal of pressure.

Any moment now we • triu the knock on the door » Lord Goodman at the head * a special freedom of the detachment of police of the NUJ as accomplices.

Last week an Italian businessman, terrified by thoughts of the Red Brigade, shot his wife and children dead and then blew his own brains out.

Even the tragedies of the bourgeoisie seem to have an extravagent revoltingness of their own.

Chatter

These titbits provided the background chatter to the newspapers last week. The redundancies are being recorded. Another factory closes, a thousand more here or there out of work.

The Sunday Times back after two weeks away and as self satisfied as ever, produces 'exclusive' charts to show how well the world economy is likely to do in the next two years.

No-one, even& in their article, really sounds convinced The Daily Mail hails the Tory racist plans with the boast that the Tories stand alone against immigration.

They have a hard job making a case out of it. Most of the week was spent in Tory plans are • with the Labour leadership's racism.

Even the BBC noted that Mrs. Thatcher kept harping on Callaghan's period at the Home Office because he had done more to introduce racialist immigration measures than just about any other Home Secretary.

Horror stories The Daily Telegraph hung the flags out for the poor old British Tommy. The horror stories about their low pay were enough to make anyone weep.

Workers, of course, are only low paid because they are lazy or for some other good reason.

But, according to the Telegraph, one army sergeant has just had to take up smoking to quell hunger pains, because he is too poor to buy food.

Perhaps they could persuade Healey to introduce such a scheme as part of next year's pay restraint plans.

He could ask the Royal Family to back the scheme, which should clinch the support of the TUC.

Non smokers and asthma sufferers will have to cope as hest they can. I they cannot