12 NOVEMBER 1937, Page 3

The Week in Parliament Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes : The

underlying unity of the House, of Commons is always most apparent on the death of one of its leading members. Even those who had no personal acquaintance with the dead man, and there- fore have no personal regrets, feel deeply the loss to the House. So it was at the passing of Ramsay MacDonald. In recent years he mixed very little with the rank and file and, since his retirement from office, was seldom seen at West- minster. But even in the background he remained one of the great figures of the Parliamentary stage. Of all the political giants his was the most complex and baffling person- ality. One quality, however, he never lacked, a genuine dignity, which is typical of the Highlander, and which grew rather than diminished when he ceased to be a Minister of the Crown. The obituary speeches in the Commons were well done. In particular the House was grateful to Mr. Attlee, who put aside the acerbities of the last six years and delivered an apt and generous tribute.

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