§ Q4. Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the Prime Minister why he has expanded the rule laid down by his predecessor on 29th January, 1947, that Ministers may write letters to the newspapers in order to supplement other methods of informing the public of the work of their Departments, to embrace cases in which a Minister may write to a newspaper to defend himself from criticism appearing in that paper.
§ The Prime MinisterI have not expanded the rule.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamIs not the Prime Minister aware of the mounting tide of criticism in this country and that people are going about saying, "Don't blame me, I voted Conservative"? Is he preparing to get the Ministers, all 119 of them, to write to the Press to reply to this criticism?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman and I live in two different countries. The fact that people who voted Conservative and are prepared to admit to it are now saying so is not a sign of any change 1468 of opinion on their part or that of anybody else. However, I am a little surprised that they should be using slogans borrowed from or reproduced from an American slogan, "Don't blame me, I voted Goldwater".