Questions in the House of Commons about Holland sparked off an angry row with Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home. When Laborite Gerald-Kaufman, who is Jewish, asked if Sir Alec would visit Holland “to tell its citizens that Britain was its loyal and steadfast ally,” Sir Alec retorted: “I am not sure the words loyalty and steadfastness can come very well from you.”
An uproar ensued and Laborite Eric Heffer shouted at Sir Alec: “That comes from a man who sold this country out at Munich, and who is at the present moment selling our country out to the Arabs.” After Labor demands that the remark be withdrawn, Sir Alec said: “I did not mean to question Mr. Kaufman’s loyalty to this country. If he interpreted it in that way, I will withdraw it.”
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