Great Britain: Victory Without Advance

Into the House of Commons last week strode Edward Heath to launch his first parliamentary assault on the government as Britain's new Tory leader. It was something of a disappointment — a long and factual speech that even his supporters found some what on the dull side. Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who loves the cut-and-thrust of parliamentary debate, poured scorn on the Tories, dubbed Heath as "this Sir Galahad" who, he claimed, had deliberately misled the voters last year about the nation's economy.

Wilson won the debate as well as months of parliamentary peace as the House of Commons recessed until October. But he gained little else. Labor had pushed through 65 new bills—a near-record number—but most were concerned with the mechanics of ad ministration. Under the first Socialist government since 1951, Socialism had failed to advance an inch.

What most heartened the Tories and depressed the Laborites was a new Gallup poll that shows the Conservatives leading 49% to 41% . The shift in public opinion is doubtless due to Wilson's tough austerity measures intended to save the battered pound sterling. At week's end London was swept by rumors that the U.S. was withdrawing support from the pound and that the Bank of England's Lord Cromer had threatened to resign if the pound was not devalued. Wilson labeled the rumors false and "highly neurotic." Before setting off on a holiday in the Scilly Islands, he fired a Parthian shot at devaluation and Ted Heath. "I gather he has no plans to devalue the pound when he gets in power," said Wilson, "but as that won't be for at least 20 years, the question would hardly arise."