THE NEW HOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 129, 27 November 1935, Page 9

THE NEW HOUSE

MEETING OF COMMONS

SCRAMBLE FOR SEATS

SPEAKER RE-ELECTED

PARTY LEADERS CHOSEN

(British Official ■ Wireless and United - Pros*

Association.)

(Received November 27, 11.30 a.m.)'

LONDON, November 26,

The British Parliament met for the first time this afternoon. In the House of Commons, Captain Fitzroy was unanimously elected Speaker. He has served as Speaker In the last four Parliaments, and was warmly congratulated by the Prime Minister (Mr. Stanley. Baldwin), Mr. Attlee (Leader of the Opposition), and Mr. Lloyd George ("Father \of the House").

Some hours before the House assembled members scrambled for seats, Mr. George Lansbury ousting Lady Astor from her. usual place.

Mr. Lloyd George said that the supremacy of Parliamentary institutions depended on the general conviction that every opinion in the nation should have an opportunity of fair and free expression. The Speaker would maintain that freedom of speech which had made the position' and fame of the British Parliament the admiration of the whole world. MEETINGS OF CABINET. Although there have been several informal meetings of Ministers, of which one took place at Downing Street this morning, tomorrow's meeting of Cabinet will be the first since October 23, and it will also be the first meeting since the new Ministerial appointments were announced last Friday. It is understood that the time of Cabinet tomorrow will be almost entirely occupied with domestic affairs, and consideration will be given to the terms of the King's Speech, which will be read by his Majesty when he formally opens the new Parliament on December 3. LABOUR LEADER RE-ELECTED. The Parliamentary Labour Party met today to elect its leader, and after two ballots in which Mr. Arthur Greenwood and Mr. Herbert Morrison were in a minority, Mr. C. R. Attlee, who acted as leader in the last Parliament after the resignation of Mr. George Lansbwy, was chosen. Mr. Attlee secured 58 votes, Mr. Morrison 43, and Mr. Greenwood -33 in the first ballot, and Mr. Attlee 88, and Mr. Morrison 48 in the second. NEW LIBERAL LEADER. The Liberals in the House of Commons also met and elected Sir Archibald Sinclair to succeed Sir Herbert Samuel, who lost his seat in the election, as Parliamentary leader. . Mr. David Lloyd George was present, and Parliamentary correspondents of newspapers declare that he and other Liberals who ranked as Independent. Liberals in the last House will now cooperate generally with the rest of the party in the new House, thus bringing the United Liberal strength to 21. Mr. Lloyd George presided at the meeting and accepted the office of Liberal Whip.

The Rt. Hon. Sir Archibald Sinclair is the fourth baronet and has been. a Privy Councillor since 1931. He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst, and entered the Army in 1910 at the age of twenty. In 1919-21 he was personal^ military secretary to the Secretary for"^ War, in 1921-22 private secretary to the Secretary for the Colonies, and in 1930-31 Liberal Chief Whip. In 1931-32 he was Secretary of State for Scotland. He entered the House of Commons in 1922 and was one of the National Liberals who left the Government. He owns about 100,000 acres and was made Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness in 1919.