THE FIRST SHOT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 79, 17 January 1950, Page 4

THE FIRST SHOT

BRITISH ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPEECH BY MR MORRISON (N.Z.P.A.- Copyright) (Rec. 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. IG. The Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr Herbert Morrison), opening Labour’s General Election campaign to-night, declared that the Labour Party would never take part in a peace-time Labour-Conserva-tive coalition government. “The coalition would be ineffective and certainly the Labour Party would not agree to such an adventure,” said Mr Morrison. The British people had to choose between “the consti'uctive and progressive Left” and “the dithering and reactionary Right.” . Amid cries of “rubbish”, Mr Morrison said: “There are to-day Tories and near-Tories who want substantial unemployment in order to keep the working people in their place and to weaken the trades xmions. There has been many a girl standing at the altar wondering whether the man she was marrying would have long spells of unemployment. That was the Tory system.” IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENTS LONDON, Jan. 16. The political correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the first important engagements of the British General Election campaign will take place this week. “The Lord President of the Council (Mr Herbert Morrison) has the initiative with a speech at his electorate of Lewisham to-morrow. As the Labour election manifesto is expected in two or three days, Mr Morrison’s speech will undoubtedly give a clear Indication of the lines on which the Socialists intend to fight the elections. “Mr Churchill will broadcast on aJnuary 21 and the Conservative Party’s policy statement will appear early in the following week. The Conservatives believe that Mr Morrison will play down the Government’s intention to proceed with more socialism and wiH put heavy emphasis on full employment with the innuendo that the return of a Conservative Government would mean the return of unemployment.