In my opinion the apparent lack of eminence among the
Government back-benchers is due to subtler and more credit- able causes. In the first place, the more gifted among them are all Socialists at heart, and do not feel for the Opposition that burning resentment, or for their own side that passionate allegiance, which form the spirit of high debate. In the second place, the acute international conflicts which have succeeded each other since 1935 have rendered it irksome for them to persist in criticism which would certainly be exploited abroad. And in the third place, the abuse of self- advertisement on the part of certain less respected politicians has deterred the more sensitive back-bencher from acquiring news-value with the popular Press. It may well be said that such delicacy is now misplaced. * * * *
Previous page
