PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
Captain Terence O'Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, dissolved his parliament at Stormont and announced a general election for 24 February, the earliest date possible. The Rev Ian Paisley and Major Ronald Bunting emerged from prison, reading the Bible, having decided to appeal against their convictions. Both said they would stand in the election. Sir Gerald Nabarro claimed to possess indis- putable proof of a budget leak in a printed Government form putting the road fund licence, now £25 a year, at £35. Mr Wilson appointed an all-party select committee to in- vestigate the matter after Mr Jenkins categori- cally denied that any Government printing had been ordered in anticipation of a decision not yet taken. Students remained locked out of the LSE and, after a mass meeting in Friends House, Euston, voted to reject their Principal's demands that they should disavow violence. Support from fellow students cul- minated in a 2,000-strong march to the LSE. An alleged top Chinese spy, Mr Liao Ho- shu, gave himself up to Dutch police in the Hague. Later, he was flown to the United States, where he is thought to be helping the CIA. Colonel Frank Borman, the us astronaut, arrived on a goodwill visit from President Nixon and saw the Queen, Mr Wilson, Robin Day, etc. There was still no invitation, how- ever, for Mr Wilson to visit the new President, who instead announced his intention of visiting Europe. Meanwhile, Mr Nixon said he was ready to take part in four-power peace talks on the Middle East.
After a week of chaos, the Government con- ceded complete victory to the militant post- men's union. It was announced that average earnings had risen by 74 per cent to £23 a week in the twelve months up to October. The cost of living had risen by only 51 per cent. The increase for industrial production in this period, not announced, was less than 41 per cent. The Government dropped its scheme to
pay peers a salary in the reformed House of Lords. General de Gaulle met hostile demon- strations of Breton nationalists on his tour of Brittany, and only partially mollified them by quoting in the Breton language from the writ- ings of an uncle. Mr Reginald K ray also re- cited a poem, but of his own composition, during the course of his trial with other people on charges which included murder and ex- tortion. Italy had a general strike.
Mr Healey was widely attacked in the Soviet press for his suggestion that in the event of war with Russia, NATO would be forced to use nuclear weapons or surrender. Mr Sean Bourke. who claims to have assisted in the escape of the spy Blake from prison, successfully appealed against an extradition order in Dublin's High Court. An auction sale of effects belonging to the Great Train Robbers realised £9,837. The BBC decided to kill The Critics, as well as The Dales, after a run of twenty-two years.
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