Part of ‖The Secretary's Letter‗ published in the ‖British Medical Association News‗ for January, 1975, New Series, Vol. 1, No.1, and reproduced here by kind permission of the Secretary of the B.M.A., Dr Derek Stevenson, and the Editor of B.M.A. News. In the WMA Dr Stevenson is known as a wise and moderate Member of Council: Fortunately for. the B.M.A. he is also a strong negotiator. The present struggle in Britain between Government and profession is a model for other national medical associations to study, because the solely national problems which have brought matters to a head there are symptomatic of the more general intrinsic conflict which under lies so often the relationship between the professions of medicine and politics.