Corridors . . .
PUZZLE HEARS THAT Roy Jenkins has been rather shocked by the success of his erstwhile ally, Harold Lever, in the Labour Shadow Cabinet elections. Jenkins, gentle readers will recall, did not have the guts— despite the specific invitation of Harold Wilson — to stand for election to the SC. Lever, by standing and winning, showed his willingness to get off the Common Market bandwagon and on to that of Harold Wilson, Jenkins saw his progressive alliance disbanding; and came out with a speech suggesting the postponement of the introduction of VAT from next April, thus, with habitual indecisiveness, suggesting the destruction of the EEC policy for which he has sacrificed so much.
PUZZLE IS ALSO CONCERNED about whether or not Labour will decide to send delegates to the European Parliament at Strasbourg. The decision is to be made next week. Labour conference, of course, is against sending delegates; a majority of the Shadow Cabinet is for. The issue is understood to lie in the hands of Harold Wilson. And Big Jim Callaghan has said, quite clearly, that he will support the leader, whatever the leader decides to do. Likewise the aforementioned Harold Lever, and also Denis Healey. Wilson, Puzzle thinks, will decide against sending delegates.
AND FOR WHY? Two reasons. If Wilson decides for sending delegates, he will face a left-wing challenge for the leadership next autumn. And that challenge will come from Michael Foot, The right of the Labour Party so despise Wilson that they will not readily defend him against Foot. And, though he would win an election, his majority might be so humiliatingly small that he would feel forced to resign.
AND THE SECOND REASON, Daddy? Jim Callaghan feels that it is in his interest that Harold Wilson should stay on. And he has two votes — his own and that of Merlyn Rees, who does everything Uncle Jim says he ought to do. Why else, child, did you think that Uncle Jim sanctioned nephew Rees as spokesman on Ulster affairs? Because he knew he would continue to control Ulster policy that way.
AND WHAT DADDY, is Uncle Ted going to do about that same Ulster problem? He was awfully masterful in the province the other day, and said he was going to put a new solution into action. The unhappy man on that trip was Cousin Brian Faulkner. Brian was aware that the Prime Minister had described him as a " wet twit" — only his noun was more vigorous. Uncle Ted, it seems, is going to keep the office of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, establish a series of allparty committees to run the place, and give the S of S a decisive veto on their deliberations. Thus, and thus only, will he be able to ensure a role in Ulster affairs for all parties, while retaining the fundamental authority of Westminster — and the same Uncle Ted.
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