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Press, 17 March 1982, Page 27

Labour parties, in both New Zealand and Britain are in transition, but they are moving, in opposite directions. The British Labour Party, under the influence of Mr Tony Benn, is moving rapidly to the Left, demanding that Labour M.P.s no longer abandon the more socialist planks of party policy when in office, and insisting that M.P.s regularly submit themselves for re-selection by their generally more Left-wing constituency parties. The Right-wing has hived off to form the new Social Democratic Party. New Zealand's Labour Party, on the other hand, has moved more and more towards what it calls the “Centre.” Mr Rowling himself describes Labour as a social democratic movement, and is now trying to change the party's formal links with the industrial labour movement from which it sprang. Some M.P.s want to

change the party's name to Social Democrat, and it is clear that this is how many influential Labour politicians see themselves.

Three of the most frequently named rising stars of the Labour Party are a trio of Christchurch M.P.s — Ann Hercus (Lyttelton). David Caygill (St Albans) and Geoffrey Palmer (Christchurch Central). All three have been lipped as future leaders of the party, so their views of Labour's philosophy and trends could be significant. Mr Palmer declined to be interviewed, saying that he did not wish to be portrayed as one of a “trio" or “cabal” with Mrs Hercus and Mr Caygill. But Mrs Hercus and Mr Caygill agreed to discuss with GARRY ARTHUR their own political philosophies and their conception of today's Labour Party ...