Corridors . . .
PUZZLE PLANS to start providing politicians' quotes on themselves, along the lines of the aphorisms of chairmen appearing on my colleague Skinflint's page. Since politicians are, however, much shyer than businessmen, he may not be able to provide a regular service. But two starters are: Sir Paul Bryan, who observed recently, "1 am very slow to burn. I think perhaps I burn only about once every three years. But when I burn, I burn." And Harold Wilson, " I know nothing about sex."
ONE OF THE BIG questions being asked is why Derek Hart is sitting in on Dick Crossman's new late-night telly chat, Crosstalk — particularly since Hart made a most inept interruption at a high point of last Sunday's tussle between Dick and Enoch Powell. The answer? During the first set of dry runs for the programme the BBC boys were shocked by the fact that Dick talked all the time. Clearly he would not allow a guest to get a word in edgeways; so Hart was coopted to ensure that every guest was allowed at least two sentences.
HINTS HAVE BEEN going about that the same Enoch intends, if not exactly to start a party of his own, then to lead a group of dissident Conservatives at the next election, seeking thus to build up and consolidate his supposed hold on Tory politics in the Midlands. It is worth remembering that Enoch did not distinguish himself when he stood for the presidency of the Midlands Conservative Association: he was easily beaten.
DIANA, LADY ELLES has just acquired a new job, as head of Conservative Central Office's new European division. She was chosen for the new task not by Lord Carrington, the Party chairman, but by the Prime Minister personally, further evidence of his singular regard for the lady, and a strong indication that she will sooner or later become a Government minister, very likely as a replacement for Lord Aberdare at the Department of Health and Social Security. After all, they will badly need somebody who can work out a relationship between our Health Service and those of the EEC countries, and Morys Aberdare, besides not knowing much about Europe once said, "I know nothing about health."
Tom Puzzle
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