Vulgar trick
These endeavours receive much support from the public prints. Daily Telegraph readers have been much surprised of late to find that robust Tory organ lament the fact
like Citizen Benn, and not given a better that the Labour Party is weakened by fellows
electoral opportunity by the services of Mr Jenkins or Mr Crosland. And that celebrated journal of record the Times, would ever exhume the wasted political corpse of Mr Woodrow Wyatt if it provided some lead from the right. During the troubled political week just gone the Times indulged in one of the vulgar tricks normally employed by much lesser journals without the law by printing a picture of Mr Prentice smiling like St Francis of old, beside a scowling Scholar Foot, accompanied by a picture of Citizen Benn caught in an even more ridiculous pose than normal — indeed looking like Sir Alec Douglas-Home. What next? Are we to have Master Ronald Butt in the nude?
One detects a similar strife across the floor of the House. No doubt the Prophet Enoch had good reason to react to being called a fanatic by branding the Skipper as not having possession of his senses. (It must be recorded that the Old Salt thrives on adversity and handled the inevitable abuse by the Opposition with splendid elan.) But the long term position of Prophet Powell is not dissimilar to that of Mr Jenkins. If his party wins the next election then the voice of prophecy may be heard in the land but not heeded — unless, as .his supporters constantly affirm, the nation sends for him in times of great adversity.
And he reaffirmed his attitude towards a forthcoming election in a speech on the Common Market which did not receive as much attention as his phrase about the Prime Minister. The Prophet Enoch said:
... the plain, undoubted and full hearted consent of the British people which has not yet been obtained or properly sought is necessary .. . the liberties of the British cannot be reconciled with our membership of the EEC unless there is a radical renegotiation of the terms . . . until these two conditions are fulfilled — until the will of the people is known ... through their elected representatives, we dare not take further steps towards economic and monetary union.
All this sounds ominous for the forthcoming elections, for the Prophet is convinced that he delivered many seats in the Midlands at the last.
Puzzle is weary of the bickering of politicians. It seems to him that neither of the great parties reflects the wishes of its supporters who undoubtedly favour the views of Scholar Foot and the Prophet Enoch. All this is contained within a Parliament swiftly surrendering its powers without ever having consulted those who put it there. It is little wonder that the nation turns to pastry cooks, Scotch housewives, and Methodist lay preachers much concerned with the local sewage.
The Scholar' Foot shouted out: "Heaven knows, we never saw such pygmies in charge of our affairs!" He was followed by the diminutive Chataway. Puzzle took a glass,
elsewhere. Tom Puzzle
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