13 MAY 1955, Page 7

A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK

MR. ANEURIN BEVAN'S statement that Toryism and Christianity are inconsistent with each other has passed with less comment than the definition of a new dogma usually occasions, although the faithful Dr. Soper, fresh from excommunicating the Arch-, bishop of York over the H-bomb, hastened to give it his official Imprimatur. It can now be seen that Mr. Bevan during the last few weeks has been expounding a single coherent body of doctrine—the fruit no doubt of much devoted Marxist exegesis --and that his remark about Conservatives and Gadarene swine, contrary to first impressions, was a theological rather than a political pronouncement.