After the disturbances and worries of the past few days, life is returning to its normal course. Chamberlain got his way after all, and Halifax was appointed foreign secretary, but it is the PM who will be speaking in the Commons on all the more important foreign-policy issues. A certain Butler, former parliamentary assistant minister of labour, has replaced Cranborne. He is a newcomer to foreign policy, but an obedient type. It transpires that up to a hundred coalition government members sympathize with Eden, but only Vyvyan Adams voted against the government, and 22, including the duchess of Atholl, abstained. The rest did not dare to cross Chamberlain: such is the power of the ‘party machine’.