BRITISH POLITICS.

Evening Star, Issue 18698, 29 July 1924, Page 4

BRITISH POLITICS.

No political party in Great Britain has been happy since the unnatural regime ot minority government was inaugurated at the beginning of this year. The Labor Party doubtless lias como nearest to that covotable state, and it is easy to imagino that the Liberals, who pub them in the seats of tho mighty, have been furthest from it. Labor at least rules, and whatever resentment it may feel against the tyranny of conditions which will not allow it to rule according to its own convictions, except whore those happen to accord with tho ideas of Liberalism, it can console itself with the reflection that that subserviency will not necessarily last for over. If for tho moment it does what Liberalism allows it to do, it has a golden opportunity to impress the country with its administrative capacity and its sanity, leading to such growth of trust in it as may have the result, before long, of placing a Labor Government in office which will rule by its own right and • not by tolerance. . And there are limits to the Liberals’ power of control Mr Asquith, Mr Lloyd George, and thoir followers must have been made painfully sensible ot them in the last few months. Tho Liberals can flourish tho whip over Labor, threatening to desert it, and force an appeal to the country, if their behests aro -not obeyed to the last diphthong and comma, but they dare not —at least at this stage—bring the whip down. They have no mind for forcing a dissolution which, in tho present state of their fortunes, would be most likely to be the signal for their own demise. Tho Conservatives have less fears on that account. They would oust Mr MacDonald's Government to-morrow and trust to tti© chances. There have been doubts whether their courage would go so far, but these seem to have done them an injustice. Koturned but recently as the strongest of three parties, Conservatism has less to dread than Liberalism from a new election. At the worst its position would be likely to bo no worse than it now is, and if the Labor Governconfirmed in office, thought itself

strong enough thereafter to attempt to bring in Socialism, tho Conservatives would bo certain of finding in Liberals mot opponents, as at present, but allies. When that irrepressible Liberal, Mr Pringle, accused tho Unionists on a recent occasion of taking steps to keep their members out of tho division lobby if it appeared likely that tho Government might bo defeated, the reply was prompt and definite. Tho Chief Conservative Whip made answer that thero was not a word of truth in tho assertion. “We should have gone into tho division lobby,” he declared, “ against tho Socialists in as strong a body as we did, and whenever wo have an opportunity of fighting tho Socialist Party we shall do so to the utmost of our ability.” But the plight of Liberals has been most unhappy. It gives them no pleasure to keep a Labor Party, which they'denounced unstintedly at tho last election, in office, and they have mot sufficient trust in the result of their own fortunes to be willing yet to join with tho Conservatives to turn it out. They get no gratitude for thoir support of Labor. It would bo wonderful, in tho circumstances, if they did. As in New Zealand, it has been most natural for tho middle party to incur tho worst hostility of both tho extreme parties. Mr Lloyd George, in a recent speech, lamented its hard fate. The only idea which British Labor wilt express of Liberalism is that its days are numbered. “ That,” declared Mr Lloyd George, “ is in return for the support we have given them. They say Liberalism is in tho way. It has to bo killed. There won’t bo an election for two or three years, so ws are allowed to live for a little longer. Wo must make the most of our time. And meanwhile wo must help Labor. Liberals are to bo tho oxen to drag tho Labor wain over the rough roads of Parliament for two or three years, goaded along, and at tho end of the journey, whon thero is no further use for them, they are to bo slaughtered. That is tho Labor idea of co-operation.” Tho only question that can bo asked is whether tho Liberal idea of it was more generous, whon Mr Ramsay MacDonald was placed in a position which, while it has its humiliations for both him and his colleagues, has been used to show also very solid advantages. A further complaint of tho Liberal Leader was that, while Liberal members wero voting in Parliament for the Labor Government, Labor candidates wero being put np against them in, tho constituencies, where the flood of Labor propaganda was Unceasing. No wonder that tho Liberals have bgen stumping tho doctorates to make a now revival for their own party. -Houghly, at the last election, tho. Liberals polled four million votes. Tho objective they have set themselves is to gain two million more at the next trial of strength. Conservatives have been also stumping the constituencies. Mr Baldwin has welcomed a suggestion, made, a short time ago by Mr Churchill, who stands now between tho parties, that some sort of an alliance should ho formed between Liberals and Conservatives which would cause them to act together in emergencies, when they thought that either tho capitalist system, or the interests of tho dominions, or other interests on a like high plana might be threatened. Orthodox Liberals prefer, however, to take their own road for a little longer. They distrust an alliance which might soon mean absorption for tho weaker party. Mr MacDonald does not want an election yet. It is probable, however, that he is more prepared for it than the Liberals, and if ho is permitted to chooso his own time for it, and is not rushed first by tho hothead section of his supporters into some attempt at legislation which would bo undisguised Socialism, making new alarm for voters, the strength of his party would seem unlikely to he reduced by it.