Aspects of Parliament Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes : Looking back
on the last three months one cannot help being struck by the amazing solidarity of the Conservative Party. There have, of course, been acute differences of opinion within its ranks. A powerful minority was appalled by the Munich Agreement and by the diplomacy which preceded it. There have been—and still are—deep and widespread misgivings concerning the effectiveness of our rearmament. An influential section is alarmed by the Government's failure to make the National Register compulsory. Agricultural members cannot help sharing the dissatisfaction of their farmer constituents. Yet, whenever the division-bell sounds, the ranks close. At the very worst the critics, or nearly all of them, are content to abstain. Even on the Liberal proposal to set up a Ministry of Supply only three Conservatives voted against the Government. It is difficult to remember a time when the Whips exercised such absolute authority. A few weeks ago Mr. Harold Macmillan expressed his conviction that "the power of the Patronage Secretary has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished." Nor is he alone in holding this view. But the domination of which he complains, although it may often be resented, is remarkably seldom challenged.
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