LABOUR’S PLATFORM

Northern Advocate, 26 October 1935, Page 10

LABOUR’S PLATFORM

BRITISH ELECTIONS APPEAL TO A NATION FOREIGN AND HOME POLICIES PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL POLICE. (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 25. The Labour Party, in an election manifesto, deplores the Government’s attempt to exploit the grave international crisis for partisan ends, and catalogues at length its allegations against the Government, including the giving of lavish doles to industry, but failing constructively to improve the people’s lot, imposing new burdens by increased food taxes, and restriction of supplies. The manifesto declares that the Government is responsible for the international situation, because it did not attempt to check Japanese aggression, thereby seriously discrediting the League. It also wrecked the Disarmament Conference, and helped to start an armament race. It failed to make Mussolini understand that if he broke the peace, Britain would join in upholding the League’s authority. The Government was too late and half-hearted in supporting the Covenant. Moreover, while giving lip service to the League, it is planning vast and expensive rearmaments.

The manifesto adds that the Government endangers world peace and Britain’s security. It demands the reversal of the suicidal foreign policy, and seeks the whole-hearted co-operation of the League in speedy action to end the Abyssinian war, followed by immediate resumption of negotiations all round on disarmament, and promises efficiently to maintain the defence fprces necessary for consistent membership of the League, believing that the best defence is not in competitive armaments, but in collective security and a general reduction of armaments. Labour will propose complete abolition of sensational air forces, creation of an • international air police force, and abolition of private trading and manufacture of armaments, and will also seek international co-operation in economic and industrial questions, with a view to ■ increasing trade, raising the standard of living throughout the world, and removing the economic causes of war through the -equitable arrangement of access to markets, international control of the supply of raw materials, and extension of mandates for colonies.

Labour’s home programme includes public ownership of the banks, of coal transport, electricity, iron, steel and cotton.

It urges the organisation of agriculture, reasonable hours and conditions of employment for all workers, reform of the Trades Dispute Aft, repeal of the Co-operative Societies Act, provision of national planning, relief of distressed areas, removal of the “means test,” reabsorption of the unemployed by national development schemes, reform of education, raising of the school leaving age, development of health service, especially maternal mortality, increased old-age pensions, and lowering of the age of eligibility. V The party also plans the abolition of the House of Lords, and improvement of procedure in order to promote socialism at home and peace abroad.”