TRUE TO FORM 'A Student of Politics' in the Sunday
Times caught up with the story a fortnight later. The 'Hampstead set' was becoming 'a term of derision for professional type Socialists who live within hailing distance of Mr. Gaitskell on the heights.' According to him, however, the 'set' did not meet to wine with Mr. Gaitskell on Sun- day evenings but had 'formed the habit of drop- ping in on each other on a Sunday morning to discuss party affairs and a very dry sherry.' Apart from these sherry parties, trade union MPs were also worried by the XYZ club which, according to the 'Student,' dined in the West End; at its gather- ings important policy matters were discussed and Mr. Gaitskell was occasionally 'an honoured guest at the round table.' In fact so far from meeting in the West End, the XYZ club always meets in the House of Commons; so far from talking about Socialist philosophy it discusses purely technical economic problems; and so far from Mr. Gaitskell being very occasionally an honoured guest at the round table he has been a member of the club for more than twenty years (though since becoming leader of the Labour Party he has only rarely attended its meetings). And the table isn't round.
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