The division-list in the debate on the Sunday opening of
the Festival of Britain Amusement Park provides abundant food for meditation. Ministers were well divided. Mr. Morrison and Mr. Bevan, might be expected to be in favour of opening ; the Prime Minister, who also was, is in such a matter less predictable ; his Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr. Arthur Moyle, was in the other lobby. That kind of difference between chiefs and lieutenants was general. Mr. Chuter Ede was against opening ; his Under-Secretary, Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas, was for. Mr. Tomlinson was against, Mr. David Hardman was for. Mr. Arthur Henderson was against, Mr. Aidan Crawley was for. Dr. Edith Summerskill was for ; Mr. F. T. Willey was against. Mr. Strauss was for ; Mr. John Freeman was against. Even families were divided ; Mr. J. B. Hynd was for, his brother, Mr. H. Hynd, was against ; the Mallalieu brothers were similarly divided. But both Commander Galbraith and his son, the member for Hillhead, voted together against. No one can say that when the House of Commons is offered a free vote it fails to take advantage of the opportunity.
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