LETTERS Party discipline
Sir: Frederick Forsyth is mistaken ('Mr Blair is not nice', 16 August) if he thinks attempts totally to control its members are the prerogative of the present government.
The Conservatives have long had their own, possibly more subtle and less publi- cised, methods of trying to keep all their lobby-fodder facing in the same direction. Probably as a last resort there would be a summons to the Whips' Office where, I understand on excellent authority, the erring elected representative would be invited to sit on a particular chair. Too late would he realise it was unbalanced as one of its legs was a different length from the rest. Straight from 'fags' and 'prefects', one imagines, but nevertheless a remarkably effective way of concentrating the mind.
The principal disciplinarians, however, were the constituency officers who always had hanging before them the possibility of reward through the honours list. Some 35 years ago my late husband, who fought through the war, and I were chilled to hear his constituency chairman say in total seri- ousness, 'The party knows best.' I might have been naive at the time, but the memo- ry still horrifies me. A wise MP had to become adept at playing one constituency interest off against another, letting things pass which were not worth any bloodshed, but arguing with all the fluency at his com- mand for matters he considered crucial.
In 1997 Welsh voters clearly decided that that particular party did not know best for them. Interestingly, some years ago Plaid Cymru had some encouraging results in by- elections in not particularly Welsh Labour heartland constituencies. It was reckoned at the time that the local Labour strangle- hold had become unacceptable. The voters made clear their opinions accordingly.
Jill Morgan
Brackenhill, Newland, Ulverston, Cumbria
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