Misled?

Northern Advocate, 28 October 1949, Page 5

Misled?

Recalling Mr Attlee’s recent statement that Britons were better off than they had ever been, Sir John said: “Is it not a fact that they have been consistently misled into thinking that they are enjoying temperorary advantages derived from accumulated savings of community and gifts from our good friends abroad?” Sir John said the productive effort of Britain had, as a whole, been inadequate, but the workers were not to blame. The blame lay in the lack of leadership. , , .. The Prime Minister seemed to cling to the behrf that a new spirit of service was going to make itself manifest under the Socialist Government. What was wanted was a Government with a new outlook that could re-establish a healthy economy and restore international confidence. The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Morrison) said the Government did not believe the problem of economy in Government expenditure could be solved by any sudden orgy of cuts, but th; present instalment served notice to everyone at home and abroad that the Government meant business about economy. “It would be wrong to assume that the cuts begin and end with the list given by the Prime Minister,” he said. "Anyone who imagines that the present list represents the end of the Government’s efforts to achieve economies is going to be undeceived before long.” Mr Morrison accused the Opposition of wanting a deflationary situation, with unemployment and crashing prices, so that the working classes would be kept in their place and the superior bargaining power of capitalism restored. The Government would not adopt that policy, which would plunge millions of people into misery.