THE SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK

The Prime Minister's modest reshuffle has been generally welcomed. The party has been much more strengthened by it than the Government. With Lord Carrington as party chairman and Jim Prior joining Sir Michael Fraser as a deputy chairman, Central Office no less than the area and constituency organisations will feel strengthened, heartened and refreshed.

This said, it is strange how it should be though suitable, let alone possible, for the Defence Secretary to double as party chairman. Even if the chairmanship of the party be considered a part-time job, I find it extraordinary that Defence should thus be treated. Moreover, even if it be allowed as a tolerable Tory foible that the party chairman should be a member of the Cabinet, it is odd, to say the least, that one of the two vice chairman should also be in the Cabinet. Agriculture, although possibly of less importance than Defence, is nevertheless an important department of state, and requires, as much as Defence, the full-time application of the energy of its Minister. If the Conservative party has to have its chairman, and even one of its deputy chairmen, in the Cabinet then quite obviously such men should not be carrying major departmental responsibilities.

I congratulate Maurice Macmillan on his elevation into the Cabinet. He might well have got there much earlier, had he not been his father's son and suffered in consequence (much as did Randolph Churchill) and had he not (also like Randolph) gone through a spell during which he drank a lot. He has been on the waggon for several years now. This demonstrates his strength of character, for the circles in which he enjoys moving are not noted for their aversion to alcohol. It is, after all, much easier to remain chaste in a monastery than it is in a harem.

The two chief surprises of the reshuffle are Macmillan's promotion into the cabinet, and Sir John Eden's promotion to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. Both appointments could be taken as repayment of political debt: for it was Sir John's uncle, Lord Avon, who, when Sir Antony Eden, made Ted Heath his chief whip and thus set him on the high roa& to office: and it was Maurice Macmillan's father, Harold Macmillan who, crying "where's the chief whip?", went off with Ted Heath to White's to celebrate his defeat of Rab Butler for the leadership of the party.

Anti-market comfort

It will comfort Conservative anti-market MPs to learn that the latest poll says that over 60 per cent of Conservatives would respect their MP more if he voted against the party because he believed that Britain should not join the Market; and almost 60 per cent of them think such an MP should continue to vote against party policy. Only a third think he should now vote in line with the party.

Another interesting and comforting fact to emerge: more people will be made happy if we do not join than will be made unhappy. Astonishingly, 5 per cent of those who approve of British entry will be quite happy if we do not join, 50 per cent will be neither happy nor unhappy, 33 per cent will be quite unhappy and 9 per cent will be very unhappy. Among those who disapprove of entry, a Parliamentary decision against would make 33 per cent very happy and a further 47 per cent quite happy.

These figures ought to encourage all the brave anti-Market MPs in the Tory party, who at present are suffering enormous difficulties through holding on to their principles. Enoch Powell charged last Saturday that " no device of political pressure and thuggery has been omitted to constran Conservative members to vote on this issue against their opinion and their conscience." This language seems a little strong, but there is no doubt whatever that appalling pressures have indeed been brought to bear upon several of the antiMarket members.

Irish back numbers

One by-product of the Irish mess. At the Public Record Office much of the material relating to Anglo-Irish relations and negotiations during the vital 1920-22 period has been removed. There is nothing sinister in this. It is just that certain government departments wanted to refresh their memories. Government departments are entitled to remove files from the PRO shelves. Many of the relevant files seem to have been required by the Cabinet Office, and were removed on February 22 of this year, and have not yet been returned. The significance of the date? On Thursday February 17, the Commons passed the second reading of the European Communities Bill. Over the weekend the Prime Minister appears to have determined to pay more attention to Ulster. The recent files were not enough. On Monday someone must have said "Let's have a look at the back numbers."

Not so mad Mitch

I found myself pulled two ways when I read that Colin Mitchell, the far from mad mad Mitch' of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire, West, had been appointed by Mr Gordon Campbell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, as his PPS. It is fine when one of nature's rebels finds his foot on any rung, albeit the bottom one, of the governmental ladder. But a rebel given a job is often a rebel lost. I hope that natural ambition and soldierly prudence do not completley stifle the rebellious courage of the man who led his soldiers into Crater, when stationed at Aden, and got taken to task by the authorities for his pains. What Mitch did then was what people such as the then C-in-C, Admiral Mike le Fanu, wanted done, but could not order to be done.

Colonel Mitchell's military career ground to a halt. I hope his political one prospers.

More fresh air fiends

It is very good news that Lord Goodman is having difficulty spending £250,000 given by the Government to celebrate British entry into the Common Market. One idea was for Sadler's Wells to mount a production of Webern's Oberon, an opera performed very rarely for the no doubt excellent reason that few wish to hear and see it. Lord Goodman has a committee, naturally enough, to help him to spend the money. His committee is very much like the Arts Council itself, that body of men and women who, according to Lord Goodman "breathe the fresh air of ordinary life in their normal every-day activities." The Common Market celebrations committee includes such ordinary everyday fresh air fiends as Lord Drogheda, Sir William Glock, Peter Hall, Jack Lyn Lyons, Sir Robert Mayer, Sir Max Rayne, Harold Sebap,-Montefiore, Dr Roy Strong, David Attenhorough and Brian Young. This nicely assembled combination of the subsidised cultural establishment, BBC, ITA and the kind of big business which gives money to charities demonstrates fully Lord Goodman's talent for friendship.

Too patriotic

Sadler's Wells will not produce Webern's Oberon because they could not, it seems, get a new production ready for early next year. I have a suggestion to put forward. Why not celebrate (if that is the word) with something English? A new production of Henry V, for example. Shakespeare has some quite good passages. However, I can understand that he might not be considered suitable (i.e. too patriotic) for the occasion, and anyway the production would be a success and would not therefore need a subsidy.

What the Lord G and his chaps are looking for is something which will not be a success, which is foreign, which nobody wants to pay the economic price to sit through, which makes no demands on the audiences' intelligences, and which costs £250,000. Alternatively, the committee might consider giving each British schoolchild under the age of eleven a suitably inscribed tin of sauerkraut.

Referendum supporting

On December 10, 1969, with the Wilson administration having only a few more months to live, there was a Commons motion asking leave to introduce a Bill that would provide for a consultative referendum on the question of British entry. That motion was much like the one now before the Commons. Apart from the obvious anti-marketeers, the following Tory MPs were among those who then supported, and presumably still do a consultative referendum: Patrick Wall, Bernard Weatherill, Peter Frye, Harold Gurden, John Hall, Sir Harry Legge-Bourke, Ray Mawby, Robin Maxwell-Hyslop, Frank Taylor, David Waddington, Reginald Bennett, John Biggs-Davison, Sir Edward Brown, John Cordle, Albert Costain, iGeOrge' Drayson, Philip Goodhart, Victor ''GOodhew. The last-named is now a government whip.