Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1944. ELECTIONS IN BRITAIN ?

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1944, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1944. ELECTIONS IN BRITAIN ?

iQVERSEAS dwellers have certain interest in the membership of the House of Commons, as the political colour of the Party in power has influence on Empire relations. There are,of course, few “Little Englanders,” with parochial opinions about the Empire, in Britain’s public life to-day, but there are varying degrees of opinion as to the extent to which Home-land-Overseas policies should merge in some important matters, domestic and foreign. Happily, no question arises about mutual goodwill, and when there is controversy upon ■which the Empire partners must agree to differ, this is achieved without rancour. One effect of the war’s ordeals and triumphs must be to encourage the desire for maintenance of co-operation in peace between all members of the British Commonwealth, to a degree beyond that hitherto reached, great as this has been.

A new House of Commons must be elected to decide Britain’s future, policy. The present House, was elected in November 1935, and it is not surprising that the demand for a general election is annually growing. There have been about 200 byelections since 1935, many uncontested owing to the truce between the main Parties. However, Independent candidates have stood at some by-elections, not with much success, but sufficient support has been received to demonstrate dissatisfaction with Government policy, on the grounds that this was not enterprising enough, both in the conduct of the war and on domestic, social issues. Labour is becoming unenthusiastie about the Coalition, and the Party’s Ministers in Ihe Cabinet have been “on the mat at Labour conferences, rather more than is customary. The Liberals in the House are few in number and not influential, the Conservatives being in a large majority, and holding the balance of executive power.

The Allies’ successes in the global war have minimised former objections to holding a general election whilst the enemy was at the gates of Britain, and it is now claimed that the sooner the appeal to the electors is made the better for all concerned. Estimates differ as to the probable result. l\lr. Churchill’s prestige and the war-victories will be the Conservatives’ chief assets, and they will probably be favourites in any betting. Labour’s main appeal will be based on social security benefits, but the Conservatives have already gone far in this direction. The Liberals are not expected to increase their members in the new House, and the “Independents” are likely to remain as voices in the wilderness. Any uncertainty about the holding of a general election should soon be dispelled by Mr. Churchill, and his pronouncement will be awaited with interest. He is believed to be willing to have an election soon, if preferring a continuance of the Coalition.

Recently, the Government set up a Speaker’s conference representing all parties, presided over by the Speaker, to make proposals on such issues as the cost of elections, plural, voting and whether proportional representation or any other new voting system is desirable. In addition, forms have been despatched to all men and women in the Forces to enable them to vote at elections, whenever held. All the men and women will state the constituency in which they normally reside, and will be asked to name proxies who can vote for them. Nobody will be allowed to act as proxy for more than two absent voters, apart from a husband, wife, parent, brother or sister. Members of the Forces stationed at home will be able to cancel their proxies and vote in person or by post. This proxy system seems to be better than the New Zealand provisions for servicemen’s votes, when so many have to choose “on the blind.”