S trong government
From Sir Edwin Leather
When you, sir, of all people, riesort to saying exactly the same tiling five different ways, your leaders may perhaps be forgiven I°r thinking that you were, for ?Tine, hard put to it to fill the ,e.e. Your leader, "The Political ro'518' (June 24): the Prime Min er has "left behind all the pidelines " etc., etc., etc. And enanY, "the rank and file of his army are bewildered." Mostly 'natters of opinion, certainly, but °n the last point of fact at least I e_an 'assure you that you are badly "uninformed — doubtless the nil(' is full of bewildered people, 11°W else could your competitors Nice a living, but the Tory rank Ind file amongst whom I live and work are not only as staunch as „ev er, but actually refreshed from a 'ecent encounter with their leader. , Surely two things at least are "„e clear about the present gov;1112rY 1ent. 1. No government ever -"ne into power more thoroughly ePared for its task. 2. No govitrntrlent has ever carried through n election programme with such 'Peed and determination. Leaving !aide for a moment its record wier Europe and Ireland which you eeknowledge (surely monumental rilevements by themselves) just :1„k:e the first few headings that ia-vr,r,;114 to mind: three billion in",,mOns off taxation, SET halved On the way to being abolished, G.„Jor tax reform that has been "g„Ing fire for twenty-five years, iiigunt income supplement the aSt radical measure to try to Lein the poortst for a very long -0'e, Pensions for widows and the au;er-eighties, complete review of „1 retirement and public service en th'nions, biggest hospital building ;:rregramme ever, biggest primary Lenool building programme ever, 'Eller reform of local government atnicture etc, etc, etc. Are those reallY " divisive "? All that, and dir ere in two years. Can such a ,enord truly be called that of men 4teking in leadership? , And which senior ministers do ;„°,11 really suggest " do not know rat they are doing"? Mr Barber? in I not right in saying that even ,gnse, and they are few, who discsf,ree with the action he took last ,:gursday are left gasping at his `v°,nrage, speed and decisiveness? "„„Ir Alec? What other Foreign Se.d.`,etarY in recent years would have drred to treat the Kremlin as he ,74.1 last year? Let alone do it suc`essfully. f Lord Carrington? Ask anyone ir°M admiral to rear-rank private till, the armed forces what they 1,111r, • Peter Walker? More real 11C",Pri has been put in hand in the 'tot of environmental improveItehent in the last two years than in „a Previous fifty. However contro,;'„rnial his handling of housing no Age doubts he knows what he is Margaret Thatcher perhaps? The Zeat bleats against her are that
e curtailed free school milk, is
deterring socialist education Inithorities from rushing headlong slitin ill-thought-out comprehensive t}"erfies, and is pushing through , e long-overdue raising of the '41001 leaving age — all popular
vote-winning Tory pledges in the last election.
Is it perhaps John Davies you have in mind? No one, least of all he, denies that the upsurge in unemployment forced a change of tactics in his field, but no one I ever heard of has accused him of causing that upsurge. Nor do his critics, however much they may disagree with him, suggest that this most competent and human of men does not know what he is doing.
One can argue at length over the Government's image and public relations for a long time, but surely it is very wide of the mark to talk about lack of decision and direction. So many incidents suggest themselves. The Prime Minister's action at the time when three international air liners were lying sky-jacked in the Jordan desert; with half the world screaming "Give 'em the money," Edward Heath never gave an inch and not a hair of anyone's head was touched. The decision to impose direct rule on Ulster and William Whitelaw's boundless patience and courage in the face of sickening violence. The determined and skilful diplomacy which induced President Pompidou to reverse the traditional, Gaullist view on British entry. Are these really the actions of " weak " men?
No, sir. Surely you are led astray by trying to maintain you Olympian impartiality. Thank you for your warm-hearted sympathy, but pray reserve it for those who need it. Keep your cries of woe for Her Majesty's Opposition! There indeed is a sight to make strong men weep. Unpurged, as you so gracefully put it, of " Jenkinsism," and led by a man now wallowing so deep in the slough of despond and irresponsibility, so blinded to the consequencies of his own folly, that he reminds one of nothing so much as Louis XV, grasping frantically at the most ephemeral wisps of immediate pleasure, while murmuring " Apres moi le deluge!" The only material difference readily observable is that what Mr Wilson really seems to be saying is, "After me Wedgwood Benn." Heaven help us.
Ted Leather
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