The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 2

2 I NEWS The Guardian Thursday February 19 199ft Enoch Powell's final message: remember not past years Violence warning for Irish talks Elton lookalike takes the stage John Kurd on television, where he com plains about the use of mobile phones restaurants and the menace ol imported foreign toilets t'esterdav he inquired about new regulations on trade union recognition and how they would apply tosmall businesses Small wonderthat I seen Sir Klton referred to as "a senior on serv.it lve backbencher ords I never thought I would see in pi mt. Various Lib Denis stood up and suggested that the Prime mister might try to honour his ore-elect pledges, and John Mullln Ireland Correspondent GEORGE Mitchell, chairman of the multi party talks on North em Ireland's future, last night warned of an increase in terrorist violence after the negotiations broke up in disarray He called for the dis cussions to move into secret session, away from the media As Mr Mitchell spoke, there were reports of a Catholic man's body being found near Lurgan. Co Armagh It was thought he had been abducted and shot through the head. Police said the area had been sealed off amid fears of a booby trap They were waiting for davlight Mr Mitchell said: "It is be coming increasingly obvious that as the prospects for a settlement improve, those who do not want there to be a sue cessful outcome have taken more drastic and extreme measures. As we approach the end game, the possibility of disruptions arises.

There is increasing vulnerability to those who do not want the ne got iat ions to succeed At Dublin Castle, venue for the talks this week, there was widespread disappointment at the lack of progress. There was no discussion on any const ltutional issues during three days dominated by the row over Sinn Fein's pres ence at the conference table Sinn Fein, expected to be ejected from the talks on Monday is delighted that it foiled moves to exclude it after Ron nie Flanagan. RUC chief con stable, said that the IRA was responsible for two murders in Belfast last week The governments were de liberating whether to suspend Sinn Fein after the other par ties had their say Four of the seven are keen that Sinn Fern remains Sinn Fein's battle to remain opened on another front as it wen! to the High Court in Dublin seeking an inuu tion to prevent its explusion The case continues today Even if Sinn Fein does in. the ruling will not apply in Northern Ireland The talks are back at Stormont on Mon-day Sinn Fein's tactics were being iewed as a filibuster. (ieirv Adams.

Sinn Fein president, called on the Irish government to oppose Sinn Fein's exclusion It is still thought the party will be suspended loi three weeks, al though Mo Mowlam, the Northern Ireland Secretary, is seen as having mounted a poor case. The (kiveinment insists IRA and Sinn Fein are "mex tricahlv which Sinn Fein denies But her seven-paragraph indictment of Sinn Fein contained no detailed evidence of IRA involvement in the Belfast murders Mr Adams demanded that the decision be delivered to Sinn Fein face to-face allow ing, Sinn Fein to manage the response of its supporters. Loader comment, pago 1 9 NOCH Powell's body and spirit and per haps the more vexed side of the memories he leaves were laid to rest yesterday at two services which overridinglv stressed his zeal as a Christian, parliamentarian and soldier. Fittingly for a man larger than life, he had a double funeral in churches each crammed to the doors with 7(Ki people. The first was at Westminster, where he sat as an MP for years.

The second was at Warwick, not far from Birmingham, the storm centre of his "rivers of blood" speech on rate in 1968 Few black faces were visible at either service. "1 didn't see a single one." said a Warw ick clergyman But the Midlands, to which Powell who died on Febru ary 8 from Parkinson's IJis ease returned by hearse in a motorcade, had itself moved on in 30 years, more peacefully than he forecast. War wick, where he was buried, now boasts a black Conservative peer. Lord Taylor. Bir rninghum.

has a black lord mayor. Cybil Spence His marathon obsequies included one or two flourishes of old glory in tribute to a politician who wanted so single mmdedly to be prime minis- 'He achieved influence on a scale which perhaps only history will come to recognise' ter. The hearse driver on his 9(t-mile last journey north wards from London was Sydney Clarke, who took Di ana. Princess of Wales, to her Althorp grave last September. One bouquet outside St Margaret's church, Westminster, said.

"You were right. We are now going to the dogs. 90 per cent of people I know sav von should have been PM." And his coffin after lying overnight in St Faith's chapel of prayer at Westminster Abbey led Into church by the full splendour of a procession with high-held cross, mace, verger's rod and candles. At St Mary's, Warwick, he was played out of church for burial to the strains of Elgar's Imperial March. But the rituals he had chosen for himself three years ago turned out to be the self-effacing, basic ceremonies framed to take a sinful soul to burial and final judgment.

His night in St Faith's, granted in thanks for his 10 years as a churchwarden, was far from a "lying in state" as some Anglican bishops had feared. The 12th century chapel is a 25ft wide hermit's cubicle of bare stone near Poet's Corner. I Kindly Light one nf the hymns he chose for St Margaret's confessed in n. Hath BBBBCBX BBBBBSMBr yBBPdvX BBBBBflBBaBflHv PBBBBBBBBBBBBHBX9H BHBHBBBMBBBBTBSLV BBBBBBBH'V 3ML3v bbbbbbbbLby bbiviYbbibbim WbbMBBMBBIHKW BBIBBIBBIBBIHIBBB7 bbbbbbbbbbbSEzl-ZZZbbbbbbbbV IQPMbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbkIbbbIbbbbbbbbbbbbbbI tsaiBBVA- mbbhbV ILIbbbbbbHPbRbbBb'u -flBSPHniBH BMMBLigZaMBT'IBBBlJBBBBBB Simon Hoggart PR1MK Minister Wui's tit ns and mv eye as caught In a strange vet almost recognisable, figure mi the Tory benches With his iui id necktie, ruin cund face, foppish clai et hanky and inirul)alile hair piece lie looked like the in ner of the South Midlands heat in the Klton look alike competition Who could It lie" I tucked the niggling question to the back of my mind Helen Jones l.ab. Warrington N) rose to ask vvhetherTony Blair, like her.

welcomed the first trans ferof monev from the assisted places scheme, and Ciidii't he agree that this was an excel lent example of Labour's edu cation policy at work" Strangely enough, he did agree. Helming Ms. limes he thought it an "excellent exam pie of the Government edu cation programme 01 king for Britain Hers was the fir-t i it manv similarly supportive "ques mostly from persons of the female persuasion Some new Labour women have been called Stepford Wives, after the zombies in the Ira Levin novel. But th is unfair to the Stepford Wives, who were at least beautiful and hard working The less appealing of the New Labour women are more like the Witches of Kastvvirk. a cackling gang chasing after Jack Nicholson (played by Blair) in the desperate hope that he might notice them, and give them a good seeing-to, or at least a lookover with a view to promotion Then the Sir Klton person rose and started burbling about Lichfield.

With a shock of recognition. I saw that the figure before me was none other than the former ichael Fabricant' Since the election Sir Klton hasabjured publicity seeking, contenting himself with a handful of daily appearances Juliette Binoche as F.rsilia BBBBBHBj IBBBBBBBM IibbbI iB St Margaret's church, Westminster, alter his first funeral yesterday photograph martin apgles arose of Britain and Europe." Mr Biffen said Powell's "prophecy and political sacrifice" lived on to illuminate debate on a single currencv. It ill be the testimony of a great parliamentarian. He did not achieve power, but more important he achieved influence on a scale which perhaps only history will come to recognise net. Powell believed that the prospective size and concentration of New Common wealth immigration would lead to unacceptable tensions and violence.

"It had a profound national impact and it transformed the public perception of him. "He was already an established national figure when, for him, the supreme issue tybbbbbhhb ajBBB bH "pr 4ibH i spend seme ut that spare Trea sii: ash i in hospital waiting I Ms. now grow mg at the rate i if a million people per hour (or some similarly unimagin able figure i "How long (toes It take." asked Ashdnwn. "for. in early pledge to become a bro ken promise''" Mr Blair grew tetchy You are trving to pretend that nionev grow on trees' In the i real world, it doesn't He sounds a little bit mi re like Margaret Thatcher father i every day Dennis Skmnerechoed the I.

lh Denis, N'ow the public cof tot ere full to overflowing. I and people walking past the i Treasury often have 20 i stutfed into their pockets by I complete strangers, it might be a good time for a spot more puhliespending or at least that was his gist i The Tories have developed a new technique for dealing ith Mr Skinner Thev shout "Ave'" in a broad Northern accent "Aye. aye." they rum bied as he stood up. "The best new Ibis eek Is that there lsanother Lin billion receipts!" it would be ry elpfiil in Budget and tek us further away from the discredit ed pol i ies if the Tories (thunderous barrage of "Ayes!" as he sat down) It is repetitive, childish. and for some reason very funny.

Mr Skinner, a man as conscious of his own dignity as any Bradford alderman, must hate it Later David Kidney introduced his Water Industry (Amendment) Bill. He spoke passionately Mr Kidney his real name is strongly in favour of water, and hoped that the House would pass it. PHOTOGRAPH MARTIN GODWIN But with tormenting skill Pirandello constantly adds new lay ers to Krsilia's story. First a reporter arrives claiming its veracity is being ques-tionefi Then comes the naval officer who discovers that ho may not have been the precise occasion for Ersilia's projected suicide. And finally we get the consul himself from whom we glean more of the truth regarding the death of his baby daughter.

Each of these men. includ-mythe novelist, invents his own Krsiliu: a mixture of fic-Lve heroine, suicide victim, mistress. and whole. Yet she herself conspires in her own re creation. And this is the point Binoche avidly and intelligently seizes on: at one moment she is all blanched, dress tearing vulnerability, at another fullnf masked, he-rouged assurance.

Binoche's performance perfectly captures the character's shifting desperation: all it lacks is a matching vocal technique. But Kent's production con veys Pirandello's ambiguity. Paul Brown's design is an intriguing mixture of the real and the symbolic. A superb performance from Oliver Ford-Davies as the novelist, infuriated by his awareness of his own and art's limitations, is also accompanied by good ones from Kevin McNally as the far from hon ourable consul and Anita Reeves as the voice of Roman respectability. Nicholas Wright's new version of the play adds to the pleasure of a teasingly mysterious evening dominated by the haunting presence of Binoche OPEN A HARRODS Redwood is humbled ACCOUNT CARD Naked despair from Binoche over attack on AND YOU COll.l) WIN A ll LUXURY INDIAN OCKAN CRUISK )cn a I lai I ids i i mi ii sx'P(l mi mi (aid bei ween S.iHihLiv '-'1st Kcbiti.u anil Saiinl.i I llli Man and on mild win 1 1 ini ahniu .1 nisi 1 mt li.ilid.iv Ki tlu (in 1 1.

in lino Indian ()( can Isles 1 lie lt day i iiisc vull isil tin- Vvi In llt the Maldives. Sii Lanka. IVn.ing and Enoch Powell's coffin leaving supplication lor-ed the garish day and, spite nf fears. Pride ruled my uill remember not past years. The Birmingham speech and its aftermath figured only briefly in an address by Pow ell's friend and former political disciple.

John Biffen. who stressed the bigger influence of his views on the economy and Europe. Speaking to a congregation that included -John Major, Denis Thatcher. Lord Parkin son. the Ulster Unionist Tony Blair greets Chancellor way, probably as part of their efforts to prepare for the abolition of the pound by stealth If Mr Blair does want to recognise Mr Kohl, he should say so and do so openly." he sa id, after tabling Commons ques Hons to find out whose idea the award was "Instead, he has embar rassed the City of London, which will now be entertain ing a most important guest against the most unfortunate background of a street protest.

The City, to make amends, will ignore Chancellor Kohl's work on monetary union in their citation," Mr Redwood added. Labour ministers were delighted, and senior Tories gritted their teeth. Whatever his differences over the single currency, Mr Hague believes Mr Kohl's place in history is deserved, not least for reuniting his country. Michael Howard represented the shadow cabinet at last night's official dinner. Mrs Beckett challenged Mr ill leader David Trimble, Michael Portillo and Tony Benn.

Mr Biffen said the Labour veteran Denis Healey had recently called Powell a nationalist. "That is true." said Mr Biffen. "but it was not an emotion of nostalgia or romanticism and certainly did not bear the stamp of racial superiority or xenophobia. "That was the background to his BlrminHb.am speech which led to his dismissal in 1968 from the shadow cabi Kohl Kohl in Downing Street Hague to repudiate his col league or be accused of "lead ing your party in an extreme xenophobic direction'' against the national interest. Mr Redwood's comments yesterday also angered City officials.

Mr Blair did not lean on us to give him this honour. We were looking at ways of celebrating the unifi cation of Europe and peace in Europe for over SO years," said Judith Mayhew, chair of the City Corporation's policy and resources committee. A hundred demonstrators with banners reading "Nein to the "Save our and "No to Kohl's European protested outside Guildhall during the ceremony. In his acceptance speech, Mr Kohl sought to allay fears of a centralised Europe. "The Europe we are building will be a thoroughly democratic Europe capqblc of action which will respond to the needs of the people." Hugo Young, paga 18 TODAY I RI i i)ip tin nti 1u in losing il.tic I Mi M.iu ih ill I 1 1 Nvl Ufl NIIIIMI BBBBJUki29BIBBjBBBBBBBBH Michael Whit and Mark Milnor WILLIAM Hague last night ordered John Redwood, his de feated leadership rival, to withdraw a statement con domning the decision to honour German Chancellor Hel mut Kohl with the Freedom of the City of London the first such award to a European statesman.

After City officials pro tested and Margaret Beckett, the cabinet minister hounded dailv Mr Redwood, fired off a letter to Mr Hague, the Toiy leader forced his trade and industry spokesman to back dow n. The row overshadowed the speeches, the ceremonies and the noisy demonstration outside Guildhall which marked the visit of Mr Kohl and his family, and included tea with the Blairs in Downing Street. The German chancellor was being given the honour also bestowed on Princess Diana. Nelson Mandela and Uady Thatcher for his services to Europe and the reunification of Germany. It was precisely those services that triggered Mr Redwood's attack, as well as an onslaught In yesterday's Dally Mail "Why Are We Honouring This Man?" and a demonstration, supported by the right-wing Freedom Association.

Mr Redwood, obsessive in his campaign against the European single currency, said: "It appears the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have been very keen to recognise Mr Kohl in this Michael Billington Makod Almeida Theatre JL'LIETTK Binoche looks marvellous, the con toured cheeks, the deep set eyes, the pensive solitude give her the mysterious allure of stardom. She also acts with every fibre of her being in Jonathan Kent's rare revival of Pirandello's Naked But one has to be honest and admit that her eccentric inflections add an extra di mension of difficulty loan already complex play. All the familiar Pirandello themes are here: the ant ithe-sis of art and life, illusion and reality, mask and face, but what makes this 1922 play-peculiarly elusive is that we are never quite sure what to make of the heroine. F.rsilia. Is she, like Wedekind's Lulu, an essentially innocent creature on to whom men project their varying needs and desires? Or is she a skilful manipulator who constantly reinvents her own identity? Binoche suggests elements of both.

As always in Pirandello, truth is relative. We first see Erstlia. after an aborted sui-cide, being taken under the protective wing of a famous novelist who wants to fiction a lise the account of her life he has read in a Roman newspaper. We deduce, in fact, that she has been dismissed from the employ of the consul in Smyrna after the death of his child and that she has been rejected by a naval lieutenant in favour of a woman of his own class. ISOMVIIM II KKODS )l ppn KIDW Yi i tin ii i (1 I.

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