Holiday Tasks R. A. Walker Fighting Rising Prices W. H.
Wakinshaw Seascape with Figures Mrs. Pathela Al. Moore Insufferable Patronage R. G. Ellen, L. E. Hunt End of Term Patrick Davies Gagarin—Si! Anthony Arblaster Thought for Food Sarah Gainham Southern Rhodesia T. H Hotchkiss Why? Margot Wahusley The ETU Case Louis Blom-Cooper, Peter Benenson
HOLIDAY TASKS
SIR,—You say that Harold Wilsor. would no doubt have had much to say if he had known before Parliament rose that Britain had asked for £700 million from the International Monetary Fund.
On the Tuesday before the last economic debate, announcing his measures to deal with the economic emergency, Selwyn Lloyd had, in fact, mentioned that the Government was to ask for a 'substantial' sum. (If Mr. Wilson doesn't know what Ministers mean when they say 'substantial' I shall be sur- prised.) In the event, not a single MP of all the 630 listening or taking part in the debate two days later had the common gumption to demand to know the precise figure. Personally, I wondered what they were all bothering to debate about if this figure was purposely concealed from Parliament until such time as it could be released without embarrassment from either Tory or Socialist 'representatives of the people.' Surely it was the most significant figure of all!
My own belief is that this staggering indicator of the nation's bankruptcy was purposely concealed in order to dupe, not only Labour MPs, but Conserva- tive MPs also into believing that the debate cheer- fully granted by the Government was a really serious debate about the nation's economic health. But Tory MPs were taken in just as easily as their Socialist confreres.
Gladstone's Liberals may have been a bit thick in parts—but they were never this thick.
R. A. WALKER Member, Liberal Party Council 7 Crossway, Chesham, Bucks
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