19 MARCH 1965, Page 9

Answer Cime There None

Faithful readers would not accuse me of being an uncritical admirer of the Prime Minister. All the same I can't help wondering what on earth has happened to the fellow. It has become now almost impossible to extract a serious answer from him at Question Time. Of course some of the points put to him are rehearsed impromptu jests. Mr. Wilson's replies to these are usually adequate, sometimes excellent. But he now treats every question as if it called for a joke in reply, and his stock-in-trade of jokes is sadly repetitive. Even The Times Parliamentary Corre- spondent, whose enthusiasm for Mr. Wilson (and even for all those Freds) is unbounded, felt he had

to write of his performance on Tuesday. . . throughout his Question Time he had been edgy and below his best form. Something was 'clearly worrying him, and it could have been Vietnam.' Could be. No Prime Minister enjoys having to look across the House for his support.

QUOODLII