AT WESTMINSTER
THE most interesting weeks at Westminster are those in which pre-arranged business has to give place to business which circumstances impose even on Government Whips. This has been such a week. After questions on Monday the Prime Minister was seen standing at the Bar of the House, a piece of paper in his hand. He had to stand there for ten minutes while the Minister of Labour answered questions about the situation at the docks. Then Mr. Attlee, with his habitual dignity, advanced to the Table, having announced that he was the bearer of a message from the King. The Speaker read His Majesty's message informing the House of a proclamation of a State of Emergency, and thereby calling into effect the power to make regulation under the Emergency Powers Act, 5920. The Leader of the House moved that the message be considered on Wednesday. Mr. Solley of the "Pritties," and Mr. Piratin of the Communist Party, forced a division on this motion. But as they had to act as Tellers in the Division, and no one supported them, the figures announced for the division were 315-0.
* * * *
Consequently on Wednesday the pre-arranged debates on Scottish matters gave place to two debates on the dock dispute. The first was a debate on the situation which had brought about the emergency ; the second was confined to the regulations submitted by the Government. The Prime Minister and Mr. Eden opened the first debate for their respective sides of the House with short and restrained speeches, and were followed by the leaders of the two liberal parties. After these speeches the emotional temperature rose to the level of the physical. Mr. Gallacher had a great parliamentary opportunity, which he appeared to recognise by his unaccustomed use of notes. He made great play with the activities in former industrial disputes of Members of the Government, and in par- ticular of the Foreign Secretary. But he lost the sympathy of all parts of the House by his tasteless misuse of quotations from the New Testament, which earned him a rebuke from the Speaker. He was followed by Mr. Quintin Hogg, who used with great effect quotations from the Attorney-General during the passage of the Trades Disputes Act 1946 on the theme of the uselessness of the law in industrial disputes. This brought Sir Hartley Shawcross to his feet, but his speech became so involved in legal minutiae as to fascinate lawyers and bore laymen. Two of the members for the dockland areas, Mr. R. J. Mellish, of Rotherhithe, and Mr. Percy Daines, of East Ham, deeply impressed the House by their exposures of the machinations of Communist emissaries—" a wicked conspiracy cleverly rigged up." Expulsees from the Labour Party swelled the minority in the ultimate division to 4.
* * * *
Other business was of less import. The Report and Third Reading of the Finance Bill went through in an atmosphere of unreality. It was obvious that the Bill was out of date before it was law, and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury himself hinted at an autumn Budget. The Solicitor-General for the Government and Mr. Selwyn Lloyd for the Opposition were tireless in discussion of the ever-increasing complexities of our Revenue law.
* * * *
One interesting feature of this period of the Session is the number of Bills returning to the House of Commons after amend- ment by the House of Lords. The vast majority of these amendments are detailed ones, reflecting The immense assiduity with which the Upper House performs its duties as a revising Chamber. Most of these amendments are accepted by the Government, and this was the case this week on both the Wireless Telegraphy and Coal Bills. But a debate going on well into the small hours took place on the one amendment to the Coal Bill which the Government urged the Commons to reject. Led by the indomitable Mr. Brendan Bracken, a small band of Opposition Members continued the last battle on this Bill for some hours. The amendment was, of course, rejected. The Government can always depend on its majority. J. A. B.-C.
Previous page
