The Press MONDAY, AUGUST 17. 1942. Ageing Parliaments

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23718, 17 August 1942, Page 4

The Press MONDAY, AUGUST 17. 1942. Ageing Parliaments

In a message printed in “ The “ Press ” on Saturday the London correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association quotes some devastating comments by the “ Manches- “ ter Guardian ” and the " New “ Statesman and Nation ” on the present state of the Parliamentary Labour Party in Britain. Both papers are agreed that the party’s high age composition —fewer than one in five of the Labour members of the House of Commons is under 50—accounts for its lack of vitality and its inability to appeal to the youth of the country. Though there are some factors, such as a preference for experienced trade union officials as candidates, that make it specially, difficult for the British Labour Party to find places for young men, a high age composition is a disability which it shares with every political party in every Parliament olf the British fcommonwealth. In the few years immediately preceding the outbreak of the war, there was not an elective assembly in the British Commonwealth in 4 which the average of members’ ages was less than 50; and in most countries the average was nearer 60 than 50. Since the war the average has been rising steadily, mainly because postponement of elections has tended to “ freeze ” the 'membership of elective assemblies and partly because coalitions, the normal form of war government in the parliamentary system, usually prefer safe candidates—candidates, that is. who are past middle age. Moreover, even where coalitions have been avoided and elections held in spite of the war, the conscription of young men into the armed forces makes it difficult to keep political parties alive and alert by infusion of young blood. It has sometimes been said that, since the main and indeed almost the only function of elective assemblies is to criticise and discuss, the level of age and ability in their membership is of no great importance. There is some truth in this; but it takes no account of the important consideration that, under the British parliamentary system, the Cabinet is recruited mainly, and often wholly, from the membership of the elective assembly. In the long -run, therefore, an ageing and mediocre elective assembly means an ageing and mediocre Cabinet; and there can be no difference of opinion over the need for vigorous aiid able men in the executive branch: of government. The problem. thus' raised is already serious and will become much more serious if, as seehis possible, the war , goes on for several more years. For even if elections are, held—and there are obvious difficulties in the way of holding them —the present state of most political parties suggests that most of their candidates will be well on the wrong side of middle age and; apart from, that, of no great ability. In Britain the problem has by bringing into the Ministryemen from the public service from industry and either raising them to the peerage or finding constituencies for them. In New Zealand, this solution has been rejected as,“undemocratic" and "un- “ constitutional.”' But those who have rejected it on these grounds cannot rest content with a purely negative attitude. Democracy will not survive this’ war unless it can greatly improve the quality of its executive government. If the conventions of the parliamentary system are an obstacle to that improvement, they will have to be modified.