CHANGE IN COMMONS

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 289, 5 September 1945, Page 7

CHANGE IN COMMONS

ATMOSPHERE Labour JVlernbers Impress (By Telegraph.—l’rere Assn.—Copyright.) (.special Correspondent.) LONDON, Setember 3. L’arliaineut is in recess till October 9. All comment meanwhile emhasiz.es that the new House of Commons which as-, sembled last month for the first lime revealed a more radical change than could have been gathered from the election figures alone. The attendance was Inga, attention was keen, and the succession of maiden speeches was as remarkable for quality as tor volume.

Commenting, . the ''Economist" says:, “It is now becoming apparent that the new Labour member is a very diftereut animal from the old—and by the Kiune token from flic Labour Minister, The gulf between the Treasury bench and the back benches must be greater today than ut. any other lime in Parliamentary history.

••'.l'his is not merely a gull of ; ( g<. but of character. The typical Labour Minister is an elderly, cautious trade unionist whose formal edinalion stopped ut the ago "f 12 o r lower. The typical Labour member is keen, intelligent, and young, a professional man with a brilliant university career behind him,” House of Technicians. The “New Statesman and Nation" says that the Government is almost embarrassed by the profusion of competence and talent, and adds; “The old type of •working class’ M.P. may soon disappear. Secondary education and war service have combined to produce the remarkable result that one could not tell, from listening to 45 Lai,our maiden speakers, who was of working and who was of middle-class origin

"liven more important, the qm-sfimi seemed irr.levaiil. They were all Solinlisls —ami lln-.v were all experts on s',me Inert "I home ~r world p'dilies. In a .-'iiso. this is. the lirst I’arliame.ur of l«elji|ii:i:ins—and that, may be the most ravldutjonary thing about it.”