BRITAIN’S FRONT
Paying For Peace WINSTON CHURCHILL’S POWER Sir John Simon, Chancellor of tlie Exchequer’s presentation of his first Budget was characteristically businesslike; although he called it “a threeact drama.” Truth to tell, there was little that could be termed dramatic in the firstly, secondly, and thirdly of its review of tlie past year, its forecast for the current year and its provision of little surprises for the taxpayer if its estimates should fall short of the mark. However, the announcement of an extra sixpence on the income, tax did provide a sort of tragi-comedy. and tlie faces of many of the Chancellor’s supporters more than hinted that they were not enjoying it too much, wrote Mr. Alfred Edwards, M.P., recently. Another not too agreeable surprise was an extra tax on oil: and it was the turn of the Opposition to look glum when a further tux of 2d. a pound on tea made a fresli inroad upon the slender resources of the poor and tlie amenities of their not-too-lavishly furnished breakfast tables. However, the Budget, taken as a whole, was a strong one. and Sir John is to be congratulated upon having taken his courage in both hands and imposed that extra sixpence—even if it has earned him tlie nickname of "Simon the tanner.’’
Question time is always dramatie, with its attacks upon government policy, and there is an abundance of comic relief when Opposition "Han Lenos"—such as Mr. William Gallagher, tin' House of Commons one and only Communist—are in form. Mr. Gallagher loves Hie unanswerable question: such. for instance, as his innocent inquiry why the British Government should make such a fuss about the Mexican Government taking possession of the pit business yvheu .they. j,heiu-
solves had just passed legislation to take possession of all the British coal.
Cliui’diiU's Party
Mr. Winston Churchill had a big party of several hundred' members at his flat on Budget night. If and when Winston gets going with a real following, something will happen. He has, almost from the beginning, been criticising the Government for lack of vision in its rearmament programme, and in nearly every ease he has been proved right. Mr. Churchill is tlie sort of man tlie late Arnold Bennett would have loved —he’s a “card.” During the premiership of Stanley Baldwin he drew au admirable word picture of the man who should be Minister for Defence. Was it. one wonders, just dullness or was it maybe native shrewdness which prevented the Premier from recognising in that picture tlie Right Hon. Member for Epping? (Mr. Churchill himself). Mr. Churchill is. however, a dangerous man to keep out of a government. and one wonders how long Mr. Chamberlain will resist the strong appeal for a man of iris determination, lie is unquestionably one of Britain’s most competent statesmen; but one sometimes wonders whether lie would be more valuable as an administrator than lie is as a critic of file Government. In this Hitter capacity lie is an undoubted asset to tlie Opposition. United Front. Tlie United Front controversy is ono which ebbs and flows as constantly as the sea.. There is talk now of a new line-up: with Mr. Anthony Eden and Mr. Churelrill ns leaders. Liberals are strongly in favour, but Labour sticks to its party decision against a United Front. There is. of course, some kicking over the traces here and there; and prominent Labour members are appearing with members of both the other parlies and also with Communists, on public platforms.
In the Budget debate the Liberal leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, made a palpable hit when lie said —in reply to Sir John Simon’s statement that the policy of the Government was beginning to have its effect on world peace —that in that case it was strange that the Chancellor should have announced that the peak of arms expenditure would not. bo reached until 1939 or 1910. Anil so we go on!
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 296, 10 September 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)
Word Count
655BRITAIN’S FRONT Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 296, 10 September 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)
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