Two losers, one winner
It has become nicely clear, after the Sutton and Cheam and the Uxbridge by-elections, that it is not a question of who is going to win the next general election, whenever it might be, but of who is going to lose it. There are two first-class losing candidates in the field. The form presently being displayed by the Conservative Party and the Labour Party suggests a very close-run race; and students of political form are undoubtedly having great difficulty in deciding which of these outstanding entrants will, when the trial of strength takes place, be found to possess the greater determination to lose, the greater deceleration in the finishing stages, the greater ability to turn somersaults instead of jumping hedges, the greater knack of unsettling if not unseating its jockey, and the greater desire to convince the public of its unsuitability for office. Generally, as the consequence to some extent of the by-election results but to a greater extent of the personal distaste the 'political tipsters feel for Mr Wilson because of their pro-Market proclivities, the Labour Party has now been installed as favourite to lose.
When its credentials are examined, the Labour Party certainly looks to justify the tipsters' confidence. It is bred to lose. It has many members who are far more concerned with their dogma than with winning. Despite the undoubted facts that the majority of the public is against the Prime Minister's European adventure and have steadfastly refused to demonstrate any 975 enthusiasm whatsoever for it, and that the Labour Party itself overwhelmingly agrees with the public, there remain a re 975 markable number of Labour members of Parliament whose death-wish is so pronounced that they prefer the political 976 martyrdom of themselves and the political destruction of their Party to the acceptance of a democratic decision of the Party
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which also expresses the democratic conviction of the country.
978 Mr Wilson this Wednesday had his policy of non-cooperation with the institutions of the Common Market accepted by 140 members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, with no fewer than fifty-five members voting against. These fifty-five brave souls not only set their judgement Above that of their Party and their country, but also seek that their Party as well as themselves shall die for what they think to be best rather than 983 live and work for what is better. The Labour Party, hobbled 984 by the Jenkinsites, will remain favourite to lose the next elec 984 'Hon until it presents itself As united and determined to win,
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rather than disunited and determined to 'lose.
Were it not for the form of the Labour Party, the Conservative Party would be a first-class bet to 'lose. To all intents and purposes, everything that the 'Party promised at the last election that it would do, it has not done; except for some foolish but popular promises (represented by the Industrial Relations Act) 'and 'some equally foolish 'but also unpopular promises (codified in the scandalous European Communities Act and the surrender of parliamentary and popular sovereignty to the Brussels bureacracy which that wretched Act brought about). Mr Heath remains bloodied but unbowed all right; but he also remains unloved by all and disliked by most. The only horse that is running 'to win is the Liberal horse; but it starts so far behind that no one gives it even the chance to 'make a showing. Nothing would more improve the conduct of politics than a vigorous showing by 'the Liberals in next year's by-elections. For the sake of the Conservative and Labour Parties, not to mention the good of the country we wish the Liberal Party all success in 1973.
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