RE-ELECTION OF MINISTERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10689, 13 February 1926, Page 5

RE-ELECTION OF MINISTERS

PROPOSED ABOLITION. BILL BEFORE THE COMMONS. (Per Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, February 12. In the House of Commons, the second reading of the Re-election of Ministers Bill wa-s moved by Dr. G. C. Clayton (Canservative, Widnes). The Bill proposes to dispense with the necessity for Cabinet members to seek re-election. The mover urged that the Bill would enable the Prime Minister to select the best man without consideration of what was his majority at last election. Mr Hugh O'Neill (Conservative, Antrim), in seconding the Bill, recalled that Mr Bon.ar Law's similar Bill, in 1911, limited the application to nine months after the elections. It was interesting to recall that nearly all the advocates for the limit had since gained Ministerial rank, including Sir Samuel Hoare, Earl Wintertou, Sir Philip Cun-liffe-Lister and Lieut.-Col. Guinness.

The Labour member for Durham, th# Rev. Dunnico, moved, and the Conservative member for York, Sir J. Marriott, seconded, the rejection of the Bill.

The Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin) said he would vote for the Bill because its advantages outweighed its disadvantages, but the matter was left to a free vote of the house.

Mr Baldwin said that admirablyqualified men bad been passed over because of fear of losing by-elections. Labourites strongly opposed the Bill, which passed the second reading by 143 votes to 74.