CONSTITUTIONAL ETHICS

Evening Star, Issue 23335, 3 August 1939, Page 11

CONSTITUTIONAL ETHICS

MINISTERS AND DIRECTORSHIPS NEW INTERPRETATION OF PRONOUNCEMENT (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph-Copyright RUGBY, August 1. It is recalled in connection with Lord Runciman’s resigning from the boards of six companies, that the original pronouncement, which has become part of British constitutional ethics, was made by Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman in 1906. He ruled that on becoming members of the Government, Ministers must resign all directorships, “ except in the case of honorary directorships, directorships in connection with philanthropic undertakings, and directorships in private companies.” Mr Chamberlain explained) yesterday that the significance of the terra “ private company ” had changed in the intervening years, and he intimated that after consultation with his colleagues, he proposed to interpret the term in future as applying only to concerns dealing wholly or mainly with family affairs or interests, and not primarily engaged in trading. Mr Chamberlain’s reinterpretation of his predecessor’s ruling was made as a result of representations by Mr 13. N. Pritt, K.C., Labour member for North Hammersmith,