The debate on the Distressed Areas found the young Conservatives
in a more truculent and militant mood than I have ever seen them during the whole lifetime of the National Government. But a good part of the sting was extracted from their attack by Mr. Neville Chamberlain's statement that he would introduce an amending Bill. He did this at the beginning of the debate in a speech that in its quietness and sincerity was a first-class Parliamentary performance. But it did not appease the Conservative Back benchers who were out fOr blood. First Mr. Boothby and then Mr. Cartland and Mr. Macmillan smote the Government in a way that produced roar upon roar of cheering from the Opposition benches. But the most effective of the rebel speeches came from , Mr. Lennox Boyd. With a better .sense of Parliamentary strategy he realised that it was far more damaging to give the Government credit for what they had done, before denouncing them for what they had left. undone.
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