Healey will defend line to party

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 8

Healey will defend line to party

NZPA-Reuter Brighton, I The British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Denis Healey) will defend the British Government’s stem economic policies when the ruing Labour Party opens its nnual conference at Brighon today. ~ He can expect to face a, oarrage of demands from the 1200 delegates that he take! action to stimulate the econ-' omy and reduce unemployment — now at a post-war record of 1.6 million. He has said in a television, interview that he wants to I be sure that wage restraint is maintained before bring- • ing in expansionary meas- ' ures. which the press has

(predicted will include a EIOOOM reflationary package. The conference, possibly | Labour’s last before a new General Election, will open with the key debate on the economy, but Mr Healey will have barely 10 minutes to explain his policy to what I may prove a hostile audi--1 ence. The accolade Mr Healey i: I received from the Inter'national Monetary Fund last, week, for his efforts to: steady the British economy, : will help to increase the : pressure on him at this i week’s conference to reflate. ' The pact dominated the •Liberals’ annual assembly: I last week, but the Labour,' conference is displaying;

i little interest in the awk ward truth that the par; i is still in power only thanks Ito a party pledged to prevent some key socialist po icies from being pursued. The conference will have before it today two rival motions on the Govern ment’s economic policy - lone endorsing it and the other rejecting it.