Peculiar timing
There has been a great deal of heated argu- ment and discussion among ministers, members and journalists on the real reasons behind the Prime Minister's Paris trip. It is no secret that some Cabinet ministers were Opposed to it. The announcement of the trip was a most peculiar piece of timing—to declare before the Rippon negotiations that the ace is to be played immediately after- wards is a strange way to play a serious game of diplomacy and power politics. Were the Rippon negotiations just stage-setting for the present act? For all that Rippon seems to lave achieved, the answer could well be Yes'. The Marketeers' attempt, based on the Brussels negotiations. to stampede the British press and public opinion into a false euphoria of 'break-throughs' and the like, was skilfully conducted. According to this Interpretation. the Prime Minister's Paris trip Will crown the Rippon 'success'. If. however, the Rippon 'success' looks more like a sell-out, then the Prime Minister will be able to return from seeing the French president as a sadder and a wiser man who "id all that was humanly possible etc etc.
Previous page
