Conservatives May Differ

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30914, 22 November 1965, Page 15

Conservatives May Differ

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copyright)

LONDON, Nov. 21.

Britain’s bipartisan approach to the Rhodesia crisis may be shattered by the U.N. Security Council call for an oil embargo against Mr Smith’s regime.

Mr Edward Heath the Conservative Party leader, has been under strong pressure from his Right-wing supporters to adopt a more critical line against sanctions taken by Britain’s Government so far. Now it seems he will be faced with a crucial choice: whether to maintain support for the Government in the interest of national unity and out of respect for the United Nations decision, or to abandon the bipartisan approach to stave off a second major split within his own party. The Rhodesia issue has deep emotional overtones for Conservatives, many of whom have financial and family ties with the white settlers. By contrast, the Security Council decision should ease pressures which have been developing within Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s governing Labour Party. It may satisfy Left-wing Labour supporters who in the last few days had stepped up a campaign demanding tougher action against the Smith regime. Britain yesterday said it had declared Rhodesia censorship illegal, in a move widely interpreted as opening the way to a possible -clash between

Rhodesian judges and Mr Smith’s Government. The Commonwealth secretary, Mr Arthur Bottomley, signed a special order revoking two Rhodesian laws under which censorship has operated since just before U.D.I. There was widespread speculation that the move might lead to a clash between the Smith regime, and the judiciary, which has refused to say whether it would pledge allegiance to the new regime.