CONSERVATIVES IN CONFERENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 303, 4 October 1946, Page 3

CONSERVATIVES IN CONFERENCE

POLITICAL INTEREST IN EVENT . SEARCH FOR POPULAR SUPPORT

N.Z.P.A.—Special Correspondent. (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 3. An event of wide political* interest begins to-day at Blackpool. It is the .annual conference of the Conservative Party which will continue for three days and , be addressed on Saturday by Mr Churchill. It is an event that will be watched closely by political friends and opponents throughout the country for any indication of recuperation from the hamniferblow of last year’s general election as well as for any enunciation of policy upon which the Party can expect an increase of support during the next election.

Ever since its defeat at the election the state of health of the Conservative Party has been generally queried. Its own members have expressed disatisfaction with it and. an echo of this is a resolution to be considered by the conference calling for “more vigorous leadership.” - The Labour Party, secure in its majority, fat with the comfort of power has, through such leaders as Mr Herbert Morrison, twitted the Party with being an ineffective Opposition. And on the eve of the conference the “Daily Herald,” the organ of the Labour Party, has reiterated its contempt by declaring to-day’s conference to be an inquest. “Toryism is dead,” declares this journal, “just as dead as an ancient tree stump which stands blackened, riven and rotting among the bright new growth of a living forest. It cannot be revived because there is no more life in the roots. Toryism has not changed its beliefs in the methods to meet the totally altered and infinitely more complex problems of to-day. So it is finished and the Tory leaders know this in their hearts.” /

Leaders Puzzled

The Conservative leaders stand in little need of such unequivocal castigations to prod them into action. They have been genuinely puzzled and worried by their defeat and understand clearly that they must reinstate themselves with millions of voters.

Thus no fewer than, eight resolutions will be submitted to the conference demanding a restatement of policy and Mr R. A. Butler, one of the prominent leading members, of the Party, lias declared: “This conference can and must be the turning point in modern Conservatism.” Mr Butler adds, “we do not expect to go to > the Party conference and obtain marching orders for our future action. Unlike our opponents we retain our liberty and elasticity of movement and do not work as puppc/;s whose strings are puiled by card vote resolutions. Nevertheless, it has been the»case that the conference by the expression of its views has made and unmade both policies and leaclers, large and small.” Many other subjects, besides, policy, will be discussed —housing, food, industry, Imperial affairs, including India, agriculture, inflation —but it is to the announcements of policy that the genera] public will probably pay most attention to glean some idea of how much red blood the Conservative organisation has in its. veins.

What may be regarded as the middle view on the conference has> been expressed by the “Economist,” which remarks that it can become the most important held by the Party during the lifetime o£ the present Parliament. The “Economist” also declares that the shape of future issues for the'electorate at the next election are emerging slowly already. “The domestic issues of this, decade are the relations between tliei State and the trade unions, the relations between enterprise and taxation and, above all, the relations between the individual and bureaucracy.” Concrete Rewards The journal advises the Party that it will be necessary to show that private enterprise can mean something to the ordinary man, that organisation of State can help and not hinder, and that there are concrete rewards for each individual who is willing to work to capacity. It adds: “The Conservative Party must lose its excessive regard for its old and faithful followers. It must appeal equally strongly to the mass in the middle of the road, men and women under 40 who grew up under nominal coalitions, who have not a strong Party allegiance, but a very British intention of judging politicians as they judge racehorses, and football teams,’ on their form, as well as on their personalities.” *