BRITISH LABOUR’S DECISION

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 June 1943, Page 5

BRITISH LABOUR’S DECISION

COMMUNISTS REJECTED (Recd. 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, June 16. The Labour Party Conference rejected the Communist Party’s application for affiliation by 1,951,000 votes to 712,000. The result was loudly acclaimed.

Communists showed great interest in the conference, and crowded the balconies of the meeting place.

The issue came before the conference, firstly, on a motion by the Manchester branch recommending the rejection of the Communist Party’s application, and, secondly, on a motion supporting the affiliation provided the Communist Party agreed to accept and abide by the constitution of the Labour Party. The mineworkers gave a six hundred thousand block vote in favour of affiliation.

Mr. Ridley, M.P., who is a member of the executive, said the Communist Party’s attitude throughout the war showed it was entirely unreliable and unrealistic. Its attitude was entirely at. variance with that of the Labour Party. The Communist Party would be a snake coiling itself with pretended affection around the body of its victim, sucking its lifeblood.

Mr. Herbert Morrison urged the conference not to confuse the issue with Britain’s relations with Russia. The Labour Party had consistently maintained the desirability of healthy friendly British-Russian relations, and would continue to do so. He urged the Communist Party to make a supreme sacrifice for the unity in Britain of the Labour movement, by dissolving its organisation, after which members could take their chance on their own merits of becoming individual members of the Labour Party. Mr. Morrison advised the delegates strongly, but without heat, hate or rancour, to reject the application. In a statement made after the rejection of the application, Mr. Pollitt, on behalf of the Communist Party said: “At a moment when the supreme battles of the war are opening and Labour unity is vital for the people’s future, we regret the Labour Party’s decision. We are ready to co-operate with the Labour Party and affiliated organisations in any local or national campaigns,-and meet the Labour Party executive to discuss the co-operation, which is in the interests of the whole movement. The Communist Party will continue to work for national and international unity, and particularly for unity in the working class movement.”