Labour in Power.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 19, 6 January 1920, Page 5

Labour in Power.

WOULD COME TO CRIEF. PARTY UNREADY TO TAKE TREASURY BENCHES. (Uy Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 0, 9.20 a.tn.) London, Jan. 5. The Spen Valley result, coupled with the fact that in the last nine byelections the Labour vote has increased from 38,722 to 97,473, whereas the Coalition vote has fallen from 80.477 to 79.090, raises the question in several contly admitted the party was not yet ready for the Treasury benches and does not desire office following the next election. Moderate men in the party think a preliminary period in strong opposition would better fit them for newspapers whether Labour is ready to assume the responsibility of Government. Mr. Churchill maintained, in a speech at Sunderland, that the party was now in a period of development when it was quite unfit for the task and would cotne hopelessly to grief. Several prominent Labour leaders repower. The general result c.’ fie by-elections seeys to indicate a weakening of the Liberal Party as a . political force coupled with the eventual coalescing of the present Coalition into a Centre Party attaching all shades of political thought except Labour and perhaps extreme Tory, which latter might form a Right Party under Lord Robert Cecil.—(A. ami N.Z.)

SPEN VALLEY ELECTION. EXCITES GENERAL COMMENT. London, Jan. .4. The newspapers regard the Spen Valley result as the severest blow to the Coalition Government., since the general election. They explain that the remarkable growth of the Labour vote at recent by-elections is due to the lower section of the middle classes, who are squeezed by taxation and the cost of living and are transferring their votes to Labour. They are not alarmed at Labour’s policy of nationalisation of the coal mines and public services and of the lew on capital. —(A. and N.Z.) ‘