LABOUR WALKS OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 114, 17 May 1927, Page 9

LABOUR WALKS OUT

SCENE IN PARLIAMENT

GUILLOTINE ADOPTED

TRADE UNION BILL DEBATE

(A.P.A. and "Sun.") (Keceived 17th May, noon.)

LONDON, 16th May

In the House of Commons, Mr. Bald■win, moving a guillotine resolution on the Trade Union Bill, said that if the present rate of progress were maintained and the House sat continuously and no other business were transacted, they might hope to pass.Clause One of the Bill by the beginning of August. The Government's action accorded with precedent. ; Mr. J. E. Clynes (Lab.), who was greeted with a storni of Labour cheers, said that Mr. Baldwin'B speech was'one of. unexampled audacity which could ■not be beaten. The Government was going' even further., than ho thought likely in the destruction ,of Constitutional practices.

■■'■ ".-Whatever.--.class, we aro drawn from," he said, "we are at least His Majesty's Opposition, and claim for that Opposition Parliament 'a . traditional rights, which, ■■ until. recently, have been observed." He added heatedly: "It is a grave abuse 'o.* the power of the Government's numbers. It will reduce Parliamentary business to' a mockery. We shall not be a party to it. We shall not sit here-'and participate in a Parliamentary farce. "n -He resumed his Seat and" instantly rose again.- The entire Labour front bench rose amid a hubbub, and walked out.

When the Labour Party was out of the Chamber Mr. Lloyd George said that he deeply regretted the scene. He had witnessed many scenes in the House of Commons, but they seldom did any good., He hoped sooner or later that there would be outlined a less barbarous way of dealing with the situation than the guillotine. Thereafter the motion was carried by 259 votes to 14. The House rose.

According to earlier messages it was understood that' Mr. Baldwin's motion would be to allot twelve more days to the Committee stage of the Bill, three «ays to the report stage, and one day for the third reading debate.