Heath's assault
By 'a Conservative'
The vigour with which Mr Heath is assault. - ing the public is, by his or by any standar remarkable. Repeated statements of bock new and ancestral Conservatism leave no doubt that he aims to stand for something bold, brisk and distinctive by pursuing the implications of his judgment that Butskellism is dead.
Whether he is doing this in order to keep up Tory morale, to outstrip his critics, or to strengthen his authority in relation to the Common Market question, there can be no doubt that what he is doing is right. From his own point of view he needs to do soma thing of this, sort. From a party point of view what he is doing is essential. If Con. servatives can be persuaded that their Rees years of doctrinal emasculation are over, he will earn far greater regard than seemed possible before the election. Even if he present frame of mind does not persist, a few bold words will have given official ap.
proval to opinions_ which have for far too long been brushed under the carpet or left to the enemy lurking, as Mr Heath perhaps tends to fear, within his bedclothes.
From these points of view Mr Heath's present performance is a gain for which Conservatives should be grateful. Still. so feel doubt and uncertainty about the future.
In the first place, we are far from sure the Butskellism is as dead as appears to be imagined. We would like it to have died, but there is no less sign of the central consensus now than before and in sou respects, though changed, it has been greatly strengthened. This body of opinions is not by instinct friendly to Mr Heath; it will be easily offended. How much it will be offended will depend on the Government's perform. ance. We think it ought to be offended but we also think that its opinions should be met, and we are not certain that the Govern• ment has the capacity to meet them once real difficulties begin. Secondly, we wonder lo far the expectations now being raised art going to be disappointed. Much of what Mr Heath is saying is shadow-boxing—the re ality of political rhetoric rather than the reality of political fact. That, however. widely understood and need cause no grog difficulty. What may cause difficulty is possibility that Mr Heath's heart is not quill where it is being worn, that in moments of tension wills may be overstrained or snapped and that this Government may have a log breaking-point in public credibility. We cal this in the hope we shall be wrong. We sal it because of the danger that the public 04 contrast an admirable obstinacy on the O hand with a failure to perform what is int plied on the other, and will decide that the causes Mr Heath is claiming to defend arc disreputable. While, therefore, we wish Mr Heath we doubt his rhetorical resources being le' equate to the role he has adopted. Tl causes in his keeping are, however, so Im . portant, the opportunity is so great. and Lig political perils so acute in case of failure. ttil . we hope he will succeed in rising to 0 eit.. challenge. Certainly, nothing is more portant to the Conservative party and Olt positions to which we are committed t for him to make his policies seem as br central and humane as the situation dean
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