BRITISH POLITICS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 December 1926, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS.

RIFT IN CABINET. LONDON. Nov. 17. .Settlement of the coal dispute is expected to mark the beginnings of a serious split- in the Government’s ranks, which mia-y -lead to a general election. The Cabinet .split is now wide open. One faction, led by Mr. Baldwin, favours ,a policy of conciliation between Labour and capital, with the idea, of getting all back to work as scan as possible, and -recovering lost trade and uniting the Empire. The other faction, led by Lord Birkenhead, Secretary for India, is; pressing most -strongly for anti-Labour legislation that will make another .strike impossible. Mr. Baldwin feels—and the shrewdest observers agree—that the Conservatives have lu-t ground in the country on account of their handling ot the strike, and that if an electioo were held now. Labour would win. Lord Birkenhead’s group insists that now is the time for an election, making the issue the clipping of the wings of the trade unions, and they believe the country would return the Conservatives. Lord Birkenhead is urging the passing erf legislation to make the union leader* personally responsible for breaches of contract in connection with strikes, and forbidding strikes until a secret ballot has. been .taken—introducing something like the I' a'mist scheme of compulsory arbitration. Mr. Llovd George, a keen judge of political situations, has postponed lus trip to Russia- in order to be on the spot, in the event of early elections. Meanwhile active negotiations for an alliance are being carried out between Mr. Lloyd George and the Labour Party. ■