Four. Homecoming
March 8th, 1965
Noel Kemp couldn’t help but find the new Parliament mildly bemusing – nothing more so than the fact that, with two elections under his belt and a parliamentary service of little over a month – he was now one of the more senior figures in the Liberal Party – and two of them, the rather talented pair of Steel and MacKay from Scottish constiuencies – were even younger than him. If Jo really was planning to step do - and he was called out of his reverie by a chorus of Labour cheers as the Leader of the Opposition sat back down after some remark.
The Prime Minister stood up – and after one still moment, spoke. “If he spent less time on my parentage and more on the problems facing this country – the British people might not have discarded his party in a matter of months. I am willing to defend my background for as long as Mr. Wilson is willing to stay in opposition.”
Douglas-Home smiled in a way that was very far from friendly, as the Conservative benches whooped and hollered and Labour seethed. The member from Huyton himself had an poisonous expression with a hint of – something indefinable.
April 2nd, 1965
“Weakness – that’s what it is.” the new Chancellor muttered to the new Housing Minister.
Anthony Barber was a little taken aback at this. “Are you quite sure ? At least another election in him surely, like, well… ”
“Hugh Gaitskell didn’t get thrown out of government after four months, did he? Didn’t essentially stake his whole reputation on a mandate that – I confess – I thought he’d get. And Wilson has all the old Gaitskellites to contend with now – and his fumbled pact with the Liberals can’t have pleased the Left.”
A smirk at this. “Looking a bit like MacDonald, isn’t he?”
“I suppose.” Ted Heath sighed. “A party leader really has to know when to go.”
April 6th, 1965
“Seventeen percent is – really a very decent result Jo.” Noel muttered.
“Hardly a breakthrough though, is it? We got twenty percent in Saffron Walden in the general election and now – back to being a wasted vote again.”
“We were never going to win there – and the Conservatives were certainly determined to retain Butler’s seat after the viscountcy. No reason to well – slip into a funk over it.”
Grimond pursed his lips at this. “I can hardly rail at Home as a tired old man when I put him back in office. We did well – very well – in terms of seats, but the parties simply don’t need us again – and after the electorate threw out Mr. Wilson, I don’t think any party will be terribly keen to try a deal in future either. I – I’m proud to have fought three elections as leader and for how very well we’ve done – and I hope I know when to leave on a high note.”
“So, Jeremy?”
“Probably.”
April 13th, 1965
James Callaghan looked at the note one more time, with a confusion that he didn’t really feel.
Douglas Jay and Patrick Gordon-Walker wanted to meet with him at some restaurant in Islington.
He frowned.
***
Douglas-Home Cabinet (4th March 1965)
Prime Minister: Alec Douglas-Home
Lord Chancellor: Lord Dilhorne
Lord President of the Council: Quintin Hogg
Lord Privy Seal: Selwyn Lloyd
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Ted Heath
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: Christopher Soames
Secretary of State for the Home Department: Reggie Maudling
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Lord Drumalbyn
Secretary of State for the Colonies and for Commonwealth Relations: Duncan Sandys
Secretary of State for Defence: Peter Thorneycroft
Secretary of State for Education and Science: Iain MacLeod
Minister of Housing and Local Government: Anthony Barber
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Hugh Fraser
Minister of Overseas Development: Julian Amery
Minister of Power: John Peyton
Minister of Technology: Enoch Powell
President of the Board of Trade: Keith Joseph
Minister of Labour: Peter Thomas
Minister of Health: Mervyn Pike
Minister of Transport: Robert Carr
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