“NEW HOPE” FOR LIBERALS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27638, 20 April 1955, Page 10

“NEW HOPE” FOR LIBERALS

FUTURE OF PARTY ADDRESS BY MR ARTHUR GRIMOND (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, April 18. The “Manchester Guardian” has greeted a speech by Mr Joseph Grimond, the Liberal chief whip, when winding up the Liberal assembly at Llandudno, as “a new hope” for the Liberal Party.

Mr Grimond spoke in place of the party Leader (Mr Clement Davies), who was unable to attend the assembly because of ill health.

Describing Mr Grimond as “a reluctant hero if ever there was one,’’ the political correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian” says that he spoke with such firmness, breadth ol view and authority that delegates rose to him as a man capable of leadership in the future. When he finished, he was warmly applauded. Then the delegates rose in their places and stood clapping enthusiastically. “But the effect of the speech was much more lasting than that. Delegates took away with them new hope such as they scarcely dared to expect since the war,” the correspondent said. Mr Grimond said it might be known very soon whether it was necessary to keep the Liberal Party alive or not, but the economic dangers of the times were so great that if there did not exist a party independent of organised labour or of organised employers, it might be necessary to create one, not only as a flywheel, but to prevent labour and the employers in some industry from combining to protect themselves at the expense of others. “We know we have behind us at least 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 people. We have great newspapers and we have an influential body of liberal opinion. These are very powerful weapons.” Immediately after Mr Grimond’s speech, an appeal for funds secured promises of more than £7400.