27 MARCH 1971, Page 5

THE SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK

It is a measure of the potentially dominant effect Ireland could once again have upon British party politics that Mr Heath should postpone his visit to West Germany because of the Stormont situation, and that in the week before the Budget the most excited babble in Westminster has not been occa- sioned by the Chancellor but by the norm- ally disregarded Ulster Unionist members of parliament. Mr Faulkner is to be congratu- lated upon his successful election and the size of his majority. He will be visiting London in the near future and he will al- ready be fully aware of the goodwill towards him in his perilous enterprise felt by the British government. They wish him well be- cause they do not wish to have to do his job.