Mr Churchill To Head New National Government

Northern Advocate, 11 May 1940, Page 7

Mr Churchill To Head New National Government

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 10. MR. CHAMBERLAIN HAS RESIGNED, AND MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL BECOMES PRIME MINISTER. The German radio stated: “This post of Chamberlain, who was always walking* with a prayer-book in liisi hand, has been taken over by Churchill, the most brutal representative of the policy of force, whose programme is the dismemberment of Germany. “He i's the man whose hateful face is well-known to all Germans.” It was officially announced from No. 10 Downing Street: “The Prime Minister (Mr Churchill) desires that all Ministers should remain at their posts and discharge their fuctions with full freedom and responsibility, while the necessary arrangements for the formation of the new Administration are made.”

Dramatic Labour Meeting A dramatic meeting of the Labour Party’s executive at Bournemouth in the afternoon decided that Labour should share responsibility as a full partner in the new Government under a new Prime Minister. The Leader and Deputy-Leader of the party, Mr Attlee and Mr Greenwood, immediately rushed to London and saw Mr Chamberlain, who conveyed the decision to the Cabinet. He then went to Buckingham Palace and had audience of the King. Five minutes after the departure i of Mr Chamberlain, the King granted an audience to Mr Churchill. Mr Lloyd George, according to an earlier Reuter message, is understood to be willing to serve under Mr Churchill in a non-departmental capacity. A Timely Warning. The Leader of the Liberal Party, Sir Archibald Sinclair, has called for a political truce. “Recent events have proved the necessity for a prompt, radical reconstruction of the Government, but the opening of the first critical battle in the west is not the moment.” (Mr Chamberlain’s message on Page 9)