15 NOVEMBER 1969, Page 6

Stokes and shares

CHRISTOPHER HOLLIS

There is much speculation as to which parts of their recently-published book Political Change in Britain are the composition of Dr Butler and which of Professor Stokes.

Which is Butler? Which is Stokes?

Which of them put in the jokes?

And the statistics, which again?

Nuffield or Michigan?

Alas, alas, and no one knows Whose the jargon in the prose.

When the jokes are rather subtler, Is it Stokes? Or is it Butler?

Who first dared survey the range Of political chop and change?

And will the pattern always be Just the sort that they foresee?

Youth, says Shakespeare, won't endure.

What's to come is still unsure.