The Common Market
The defeat of the Government on the issue of the Common Market was only narrowly averted on 17th February when 15 anti-Common Market Conservatives voted against their own party on the issue. The Government had a majority of only 8 in the division. The Prime Minister had made the vote an issue of confidence by declaring beforehand that if the Government was defeated it would resign.
The determination of the Prime Minister and Government to carry through the Common Market issue to a final conclusion ought to make us only more resolute at a Throne of grace pleading for Divine intervention to avert the threatened catastrophe.
The Prime Minister and the Sabbath
Recently the Prime Minister established the very unenviable precedent of broadcasting to the nation on the Lord’s Day. The next Sabbath the Government was involved in discussions with the Prime Minister of Malta. We also understand that discussions between our Prime Minister and the French President are scheduled to take place at a weekend. This trend, following so quickly on the Prime Minister’s signing of the Treaty of Rome, is ominous indeed and gives ground for the suspicion that this is to be the pattern of future events. We deplore this evil example of Sabbath-breaking set by the Prime Minister and we are sure that is bodes ill for the future welfare of our country. Such broadcasts and discussions, far from promoting the real interests of the nation, can only increasingly expose us to the judgments of the Most High.
The Coal Strike
For several weeks in the month of February the life of the nation was seriously disrupted by a miners’ strike. The miners were claiming a substantial increase in their wages. Due to lack of coal the production of electricity was seriously affected and electricity cuts had to be applied to domestic and industrial consumers. In the end the miners obtained a settlement highly satisfactory to themselves but only at serious loss to the country as a whole.
As the nation was plunged into circumstances reminiscent of war-time conditions, the seriousness of the situation was apparent to all. It was also evident that the Lord was visiting the nation in judgment and this is surely a renewed call to repentance to our nation.
The disregard shown by the miners and their leaders for the injury done to other sections of the community is to be deplored. There is a pressing need for industrial relations to be established along Christian lines, but this is not likely to take place until both sides of industry show greater respect for the Word of God and for the clearly enunciated principles governing relations between management and labour revealed therein.
Northern Ireland
Rapid deterioration of the situation in Northern Ireland has occurred in recent weeks with the deaths of 13 persons in Derry, allegedly by members of the armed forces, the attempted assassination of the Ulster Home Affairs Minister, Mr John Taylor, an increased number of bomb explosions and brutal murders by the I.R.A., and, finally, the extension of the I.R.A. campaign into England with the deaths of 5 persons at Aldershot by a bomb explosion.
The seriousness of the situation is now recognised on every hand yet no resolution of the conflict appears possible while the campaign for a United Ireland receives active support from the Eire Government and R.C. elements in Northern Ireland. It is well to remember, too, that the Roman Catholic Church is no silent onlooker in the present crisis. Until our leaders come to recognise the active part played by the R.C. Church in the present struggle, there seems little hope of a settlement. It is the blindness of our leaders to the true cause of the unrest in Northern Ireland that makes the problem so intractable.