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.Tom Carson seemed to be extremely anxious to get in a supplementary on almost any financial question that was down on the order paper.Between two-thirty and five past three he had leaped up from his place no less than a dozen times.The digital clock above the Speaker's chair had reached 3:12 when, out of exasperation, the Speaker called him on a seemingly innocuous question on windfall profits.With Prime Minister's questions just about to begin, Carson faced a packed House and a full press gallery.He paused for a moment before phrasing his question.389FIRST AMONG EQUALS"What would be my Right Honorable friend's attitude to a man who invests one pound in a company and, five years later, receives a check for three hundred thousand pounds, despite not being on the board or appearing to be involved in any way with that company?" Raymond was puzzled; he had no idea what Carson was talking about.He did not notice that Simon Kerslake had turned white.Raymond rose to the dispatch box."I would remind my Honorable friend that I put capital-gains tax up to fifty percent, which might dampen his ardor a little," he said.It was about the only attempt at humor Raymond had made at the dispatch box that year, which may have been the reason so few members laughed, As Carson rose a second time, Simon slipped a note across to Raymond, -,xhich he hurriedly skimmed."But (toes the Chancellor consider that such a person would be fit to be Prime Minister, or even Leader of the Opposition?" Members started talking among themselves, trying to work out at whom the question was directed, while the Speaker stirred restlessly in his seat, anxious to bring a halt to such disorderly supplementaries.Raymond re- turned to the dispatch box and told Carson that the question was not worthy of an answer.There the matter might have rested, had Charles not risen to the dispatch box."Mr.Speaker, is the Chancellor aware that this personal attack is aimed at my Right Honorable friend, the member for Pucklebridge, and is a disgraceful slur on his character and reputation.The Honorable Member for Liverpool Dockside should withdraw his allegation immediately." The Conservatives cheered their colleague's magnanimity, while Simon remained silent, knowing that Charles had successfully put the story on the front page of every national paper.Tom Carson, arms folded, sat390FIRST AMONG EQUALSback looking, satisfied with himself.The Speaker quickly moved on to Prime Minister's Questions.Charles sat back, pleased with the effect he had caused.He didn't look at Simon, who was visibly trembling.Simon read the papers over breakfast on Friday morning.He had riot overestimated the effect of Charles's bogus supplementary question.The details of his transaction with Ronnie Nethercote were chronicled in the fullest extent, and it did not read well that he had received three hundrcd thousand pounds from a "property speculator" for a one-pound, investment.Some of the papers felt "bound to ask" what Nethercote hoped to gain out of the transaction.No one seemed to realize that Simon had been on the previous company's board for five years, had invested sixty thousand pounds of his own money in that company, and had only recently finished paying off the overdraft, ending up with a small loss.By Sunday Simon had made a full press statement to set the record straight, and most of the papers had given him a fair hearing.However, the editor of the Sunda~, Express didn't help matters with a comment in his widely read "PM" column on the center page,I would not suggest for one moment that Simon Kerslake has done anything that might be described as dishonest, but with the spotlight turned so fiercely on him, there may be some members of Parliament whojeel thej, cannot risk going into a General Election withan accident-prone leader.Mr.Hampton, on the other hand, has made hisposition abundantly clear.He did not seek to return to hisfamily bank in Opposition while he wa v still hoping to hold public of ,fice.The Monday papers were reassessing the outcome of the ballot to take place the next day and were predicting391FIRST AMONG EQUALSthat Hampton now had the edge.Some journalists went so far as to suggest that Alec Pimkin might profit from the incident as members waited to see if there would be a second chance to give their final verdict.Simon had received several letters of sympathy during the week, including one from Raymond Gouid.Raymond assured Simon that he had not been prepared for the Carson supplementary and apologized for any embarrassment his first answer might have caused."It never crossed my mind that he had," said Simon, as he passed Raymond's letter over to Elizabeth."The Times was right," she said a few moments later."He is a very fair man." A moment later Simon passed his wife another letter.15 Mav 1989 Hampton's Bank 202 Cheapside London ECIDear Mr.Kerslake, I write to correct one statement to which the press has continually referred.Charles Hampton, thefor- mer chairman qj' this bank, did seek to return to Hampton's after the Conservatives went into Opposi- tion.He hoped to continue as chairman on a salary of L40,000 a year.The board of Hampton's did not fall In with his wishes.Yours sincerely, CLIVE REYNOLDS"Will you use it?" asked Elizabeth, when she had finished reading the letter through."No.It will only draw more attention to the issue." Elizabeth looked at her husband as he continued to read the letters and remembered the file that she still possessed on Amanda Wallace.She would never reveal392FIRST AMONG EQUALSits contents to Simon; but perhaps the time had come to make Charles Hampton sweat a little.On Monday evening Simon sat on the front bench hstening to the Financial Secretary moving those clauses of the short Finance Bill which were being taken in Committee on the floor of the House.Charles never let any one of Raymond Gould's team get away with a phrase, or even a comma, if he could see a weakness in his case, and the Opposition were enjoying every moment.Simon sat and watched the votes slipping away, knowing he could do nothing to stop the process.Of the three candidates, only Pimkin slept well the night before the election.Voting began promptly at nine o'clock the next day in the Grand Committee room of the House of Commons, the party whips acting as tellers.It became apparent that Mrs.Thatcher had decided to remain neutral, and by three-ten all but one of those entitled to vote had done so.The Chief Whip stood guard over the large black tin box until Big Ben struck four.At four o'clock the box was removed to the Chief Whip's office, and the little slips were tipped out and checked twice in less than fifteen minutes.As the Chief Whip left his office he was followed, Pied Piperlike, by lobby correspondents hoping to learn the result, but he had no intention of divulging anything before he reached the 1922 Committee, who were keenly awaiting him
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