ACCUSATIONS BY BEVAN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27665, 23 May 1955, Page 11

ACCUSATIONS BY BEVAN

Adjustment Of • Boundaries (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, May 21. Mr Aneurin Bevan, the stormy petrel of the Labour Party tonight accused the Conservative Party of tricking the nation by having no electoral policy at all and adjusting new electoral boundaries in their own favour. Speaking at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, in support of the local Labour candidate, Mr Bevan said: “Opportunity State—l defy anybody to translate that, into concrete terms. It is just the sort of silly thing that is said ta try to divert empty minds from realities. Mr Bevan said the electoral boundary alterations had been made in

iavuui vx me vzuiiservuvivcs. “Now I warn this nation that it is all very well to sneak a majority in the House of Commons by all kinds of unworthy devices but remember that when the new House meets if it is seen that the Tories have got power by a trick . . . we are in grave danger in Britain of having a series of very dangerous and expensive industrial disputes,” he said. This arises because each of 630 constituencies elects its member of Parlia-

meat on a simple majority and in many areas Labour has a heavy surplus of votes. Thirteen of the 14 biggest majorities in Britain—ranging from 26,000 to 37.000—are held by Labour in the industrialised areas. At the last election. Labour received 230,000 votes more than the Conservatives but lost the election because of this quirk in the electoral system. Some politicuns estimate that Labour would need to get 1,000,000 votes more than the Conservatives from the almost 35,000,000 electorate it it is to gain power. Labour Fears* In the meantime politicians generally agree that Labour would probably be hardest hit if the polling figures dropped. Labour chiefs believe that the lack of action in the quiet campaign and the threatened dock and rail strikes next week could combine to keep many of their adherents away from the polls. Labour, particularly, needs a big turnout of its supporters because the experts estimate it will have to poll about 2 per cent, more votes than the Conservatives to get the same number of seats in the House of Commons. Some politicians also believe that the pending industrial troubles are likely to mar Labour’s chances of the victory. Already moderate Labour speakers, reflecting their fears of the strike effects on the nation’s economy and on voting have condemned the unofficial strike action. The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (Mr Herbert Morrison) has appealed for a settlement of. troubles "without recourse to industrial war.” Mr Tom O’Brien, vice-chairman at the 8,000.000-strong Trades Union Congress said today: “The Trade Union movement might be marredf handicapped and thwarted by irresponsible sections in various groups and industries." He also attacked what he called the "wildcat irresponsibility of sections at our movement.’’ Sir Hartley Shawcross, a former Labour Attorney-General, said at Hatfield, Hertfordshire today that nobody was more opposed to unofficial strikes man the official Labour Party, the Trades Union Congress and orthodox trade union leaders.