TWO LABOUR PARTIES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 131, 27 February 1937, Page 10

TWO LABOUR PARTIES

The decision of the British Labour Party to go to the country at the next election with a short reconstruction programme to be carried out in the lifetime of one Parliament —five years —is interesting. It looks like a definite inclination toward the slogan of the Socialist League, of which Sir Stafford Cripps is the head and front, “Socialism in our time,” and the possible abandonment of the policy of “gradualness.” This impression is strengthened by the apparent reluctance of the party to confirm the expulsion of Sir Stafford Cripps following the cancellation of the Socialist League’s affiliation for its defiance in forming the “United Front,” a movement similar in character to the “Front Populaire” in France. Its effect in France was to solidify the Socialist vote in the country and its strength in Parliament.

It may be wondered whether this change of policy has been influenced by anything that may have been said by the New Zealand Minister of Finance and Marketing since his arrival in England. The New Zealand Labour Party went to the country with certain definite appeals to the voters—no more borrowing, no more taxation, the abolition of unemployment, “costless credit,” guaranteed prices for primary producers, the abolition of the sales tax and the reduction of the exchange rate. These were concrete propositions, and m the state of mind of the electorate on polling day, undoubtedly influenced the voting. But of the several undertakings, how many have been fulfilled ? There has been more borrowing, more taxation; there is still a large army of unemployed, though less than before, but conspicuous by the proportion of men on sustenance without work; guaranteed prices have been fixed for dairy produce—with what success remains yet to be seen —the real meaning of “costless credit” has never yet been demonstrated, and we still have with us the sales tax and the high exchange. If the British Labour Party proposes to appeal to the electorate with a programme of specifically-stated items instead of the policy of general Socialism and rationalisation which hitherto has been the party platform, it will have to make closer contact with realities than did its opposite number in New Zealand. Here the Labour Party said little or nothing about Socialisation and a great deal about specific items which had an undoubted election appeal. But in practice it put Socialisation first and neglected to implement those promises in regard to borrowing and taxation which probably had a greater effect than any in swaying the electors.