Jimmy Hoffa in prosecutions arising from the Watergate scandal by mid-1973, had drafted the non-participation clause in 1971 at Nixon's request. Hoffa ultimately lost his court battle, since the court ruled that Nixon had acted within his powers by imposing the restriction, as it was based on Hoffa's misconduct while serving as a Teamsters' official. Hoffa faced immense resistance to his re-establishment of power from many corners and had lost much of his earlier support, even in the Detroit area. As a result, he intended to begin his comeback at the local level with Local 299 in Detroit, where he retained some
GCHQ trade union ban in Cheltenham. Following the expression of concern by US spymasters, trade unionism was banned at GCHQ (which monitors radio communications around the world as a part of an Anglo-American intelligence agreement). The US security agency used its diplomatic influence to secure the union ban. Margaret Thatcher claimed industrial action at the base, particularly during the 1981 civil service pay strike, had undermined the nation's security and justified the ban. On 25 January 1984, during the Second Thatcher ministry, Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe announced in the House of Commons that trade unionism was no longer acceptable at GCHQ. The TUC, CCSU,