Portrait of the Week
ALTHOUGH HE COMPLAINED that Tory MPs were 'disgusting to look at' during debates, because Many of them were 'half-drunk,' Labour back- bencher Mr. Duffy was not barred from remind- ing himself of the scene. The Speaker decided his remarks did raise a matter of privilege, but Mr. Duffy could still sit in the House, while the Committee of Privileges (eight labour, six Con- servative and one Liberal) brooded. Also brooding were Britain's GPs, now encouraged by the council of the BMA to leave the Health Ser- vice, despite an accusation of 'truculence' from the Minister of Health. Far from brooding are Messrs. Brown and Callaghan, reportedly at fierce loggerheads over the coming budget.
THE GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND. Lord Cromer, for the second time in recent weeks, called for cuts in spending—by Government and local authorities, words that bring smiles to Treasury lips and snarls to those of Mr. Brown's aides. In spite of the latest trade figures, which showed little or no improvement, a cut in the import sur- charge seemed to be on its way. Meanwhile the AEU decided to stop its grants to its seventeen MPs because of their massive pay rise, and teachers put in a £200 million pay claim, The tax inspectorate revealed that the number of Britain's millionaires had fallen by six over the last year to eighty-eight.
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FOR THE THIRD TIME IN RECENT WEEKS. General de Gaulle whispered friendly noises towards Eng- land, talking of 'strengthening links' between the two countries. Some decided that the way to the Six was open, Lord Gladwyn revived his pressure group, and libraries shook the dust off all those books that have been lying unread for two years. West Germany hoped to mediate between France and the US to end the gold war, but West-Ger- many had troubles of her own on the diplomatic front, almost achieving the impossible of annoy- ing Egypt and Israel at the same time, the one for cutting off arms supplies, the other for ending aid because Herr Ulbricht has been invited to Egypt.
VIETNAM WAS AS CONFUSING AS EVER, With each side claiming to be pursuing the other for 'planned provocations.' UN Secretary-General U Thant appealed for a political settlement, but none of the major powers was in any mood to listen. In India Mr. Shastri's administration seemed in danger when sixty people were killed during riots against the government's move to make Hindi the official language. Eighty-two-year-old Mr. Inonu of Turkey resigned, Gambia became inde- pendent, and Mrs. White, Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office, said she would not holiday in Spain in protest at the rumblings against Gibral-
tar (nevertheless, bookings to Spain are 10 per cent up). Four people were charged with attempt- ing to blow up the Statue of Liberty, a Chicago
Citizen has come to London with a £400 million claim against the Bank of England. and the Sun- day Express could proudly announce 'Britain Wins The First Space Insurance Race.' Well Played, Lloyds!
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TnE FIFTH POLARIS SUBMARINE was cancelled, the life of Nelson is to be turned into a musical, and Ringo Starr was married. Balliol is to try a mixed college experiment with St. Anne's. a sixth nude murder took place in London, and a skull found in Hampstead, at first thought to be another murder, turned out to be a 500-year-old Inca head. A former Tory MP, Sir Frank Markham, found that 173 acres he bought last year for £36,000 were now worth CI million and the Horse- race Betting Levy Board (whose job is to im- prove facilities at racecourses) is to offer more prize money for Tuesday racing to prevent a 'loss of betting turnover throughout the country both for Tote and bookmakers.'
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