A Spectator's Notebook
MR. HUGH oArrsKELL's appearance on the BBC's Press Con- ference last week confirms the impression that, if television has any influence on voters, the Conservatives will be the bene- ficiaries. True, Mr. Gaitskell managed skilfully to parry or deflect threatening questions; but one's admiration was for the way in which he wriggled out of difficulties, rather than for any more positive qualities. He appears incapable of uttering a sentence without a parenthesis ('It can be said—and it is some- thing that should be said—that the Government's next step— and I say next step advisedly'—that sort of thing). And when he scores points he smirks or simpers like a schoolboy. But what irritated me about Press Conference was its chairman- ship. Mr. Francis Williams at the best of times is no chairman; he is too keen; he wants to ask all the questions himself— engaging in, rather than directing, the discussion. On this occasion he was a positive nuisance, butting in with some irrelevancy on the only two occasions when the editor of the Sunday Times appeared likely to get Mr. Gaitskell into a corner. I would acquit Mr. Williams of any conscious desire to protect Mr. Gaitskell; I have seen Mr. Williams on this programme often enough to know that he habitually interrupts in this way. But for his sake, as well as the BBC's, I would suggest that if a party spokesman is being questioned, the chair should not be taken by a member of his party.
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