SUGGESTION OF ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25135, 17 March 1947, Page 3

SUGGESTION OF ELECTION

FORECASTS made in BRITAIN INTEREST in political CIRCLES ; t (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, March 14. Mild interest has been aroused in political circles by a statement by Mr & S Morrison, a Conservative member of Parliament, who. addressing the Constitutional Club, has suggested that the Conservatives should be ready in the autumn for a general election. He said that the Government had entirelyfailed to plan their own Parliamentary programme. Commenting later on his remark. Mr Morrison is reported to have said that he had a hunch that something might happen in the autumn. He felt that the rush of bills, “guillotine’’ procedure in committee, and Mr Herbert Morrison's desire not to have an autumn session portended a possible Labour climb-down. “I have no inside information,” he added, “but Labour may feel the rising tide of indignation. It is time we Conservatives did a bit of gingering UP Another who has forecast a possible general election in the autumn is Mr Henderson Stewart, a National LibCommenting on this, the “Glasgow Herald” said such a forecast probably would seem at first sight rathejr farfetched. There was no obvious reason why the Labour Cabinet should not expect to hold office for the full term cf five years, but there were considerations which might impel them to change their minds. Mr Attlee, who was not superstitious, must know that ♦he third session is a dangerous one and that luck certainly had turned against him “since Mr Herbert Morrison’s illness exposed Mr Arthur Greenwood’s inadequacy to take his place.” The newspaper adds that the Minister of Fuel (Mr E. Shin well) was now a liability, and the failure of the Government of planners to foresee the . contingency of a hard winter had ex- ; posed the Cabinet to ridicule and the (public to hardship and suffering. The “Glasgow Herald” also comments: “It is not inconceivable that an atmosphere may be created in which ; the Government will hope that the ■ Lords will reject the transport proposals and other measures and may feel that a general election on the old slogan of peers versus the people is the lesser evil than certain defeat three years hence.”