Socred man joins Labour Party

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 6

Socred man joins Labour Party

'f The former Social Credit spokesman on industrial ; relations, .Mi; M. J. Sheppard, has joined, the’ Labour Party because of what he .describes as a Right-wing swing in the league’s membership. Speaking from his home in Mpsgiel, near Dunedin, Mr Sheppard said last evening that defections from the National Party to Social Credit were isolating “progressives” such as himself who wished to-represent the working man. He said the Labour Party was a more appropriate vehicle for his beliefs.

Mr Sheppard resigned from the Social Credit Political League last November, when it was alleged that a Rightwing group, the League of Rights, had infiltrated Social Credit ranks. He said at the time that he could not work with Social Credit members who believed in a Zionist conspiracy to. control the world. His,resignation was followed by. the expulsion of a long serving member of Social Credit in Dunedin, Mrs Joy Clapham,- who declined to leave the League of Rights. Mr Sheppard had also been the Social Credit spokesman for Otago, and he was regard-

ed . as one of the brightest prospects . in Social Credit ranks. He announced last-evening that he had joined the Clutha branch of the Labour Party. His move could not be seen as political opportunism as he had more to lose in joining Labour now: the party’s constitution barred, him from standing for nomination-until he had been a member for a certain number of years. This means he could not- stand at the 1981 General Election. Mr Sheppard said the Christchurch Central byelection last year showed that Social Credit was gaining support, not from Labour, but from National. This left “a few progressives in an increasingly isolated position” in the league. He said his membership of the league became impossible with this political isolation. The Right-wing swing in the league was illustrated by . the comment by the new Otago spokesman, Dr Robin Stephens, that New Zealand’s main problem was in having gone too far in creating the welfare state, Mr Sheppard said. “The only purpose in my

political action is in promoting the interests of the working man. The working man won’t vote Social Credit,” he said. He said his action was consistent with his beliefs. In the interest of industrial relations, he had worked for the Labour Party in Britain in three elections. He had joined Social Credit on arriving in New Zealand because of its industrial relations policy. He believed now that the qualities of “tolerance and gentlemanliness,” promoted by Labour in 1975, were the qualities required to achieve industrial harmony in New Zealand. He accepted that structural economic reform was necessary, as did many members of the Labour Party, but this was secondary to stability in industrial relations.

Mr Sheppard said Social Credit would continue to grow, but it would not attract the urban vote. Its growth would make the 1981 General Election a crucial one.

While he could not immediately stand for Labour, he said he would like to serve the party on a “political philosophy basis.”