LABOR PARTY IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 14187, 12 October 1909, Page 8

LABOR PARTY IN PARLIAMENT

PREPARING FOR. THE FRAY. [From Our Special Correspondent.] LONDON. September 3. A determined effort is to be made at the General Election to largely increase the representation of Labor in the next House of Commons. At the General Election of 1906 the party put fifty candidates in the field, and returned twenty-nine. Since then twenty-one constituencies have been contested at by-elections by Labor party or Socialist candidates, and 'four seats have been won.

All told, there are now thirtv-four La henparty members in the Home, all of whom, it is understood, will seek re-election. Arrangements have been made for a large number of new candidates to come forward under the auspices of the party, and there will, in addition, be a considerable muster of independent candidates, who will run under the flag of the Social Democratic party. Altogether, the Lnbor and Socialist candidates Likely to be in the field will number over one hundred. Of these, eighty-seven have already pledged themselves to sign the Labor party constitution, and to abide by the decision' of the parliamentary party. The remainder, while in the main working with the Labor part v. will, if elected, be free to take their own course on questions arising for decision in the House of Commons.

The prospects of the Labor-cum-Socialir,!, candidates at the next General Election do iiot at the moment appear to bo particularl v bright, for the Liberai party has to a ver'v large extent filched from the Labor party the plum? of its programme, and thev aie incorporated in the Budget presented by Mr Llovd-Gcorge this year. The Budget is of its essence democratic, and has in a very great measure restored the popularity of the Government among Liberal malcontents, who, but for its introduction, would in all probability have thrown over the Liberal party at the nest Election. Tn spite of the. moanings of the peers and landed gentry, the wailings of the brewers and publicans, it cannot be gainsaid that the Budget gains in popularity every day, now that the masses begin to really comprehend its provisions. All over the country anti-Budget meetings are being held dairy, but they very often result in tlie carrying of motions in favor of Mr Lloyd-George's measure; and it is becoming plainer every day that the Budget, which it was confidently predicted would hasten the downfall of 'the Liberal Ministry, will become its most valuable asset at the polk. Certain it is that hundreds of Liberal voters among the working classes who have been reluctantly drifting toward the Labor and Socialist camps have renewed their faith m Liberalism because of the Budget.