Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY APRIL 11, 1924 BRITISH POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 11 April 1924, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY APRIL 11, 1924 BRITISH POLITICS

IT looks very much as if the British Labour Government's term of office may end at any time. If Mr Ramsay MacDonald were to be left free to carry out his policy, there is no doubt that he would introduce some interesting proposals in regard to international politics. His political theory is: G f ct the relationships of the nations right, and base them on some higher principle than that of grab and aggrandizement, and with the establishment of universal peace international commerce will flourish, and the internal problems of individual nations will easily be solved. It is not a bad philo sophy, hut his followers are not giving him a chance to put it into practice. They insist on beginning to put matters right at the other end. Their view is that they' are in power to adjust their own grievances and advance their own Interests, and consequently they press for the solution of national problems which are controversial to a degree, and upon which tlnj great Constitutional Parties differ from them. Thus we see the spectacle of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald being defeated in the House upon comparatively small issues which, if left to himself, he could hold in abeyance, until his international policy may have time to create such conditions as may beneficially affect all nations, and so render Britain’s domestic problems easier of solution. The extreme and more turbulent elements of the Party are restlessly pushing their own political prescriptions before the House, regardless of the larger policy of their leader, and indifferent as to the effect which their action may have on his term of power. In a great measure the abnormal and unusual state of affairs, which allows a party which is in a minority to govern the State, must bo placed at the door of the Liberal Party. Apparently Mr Asquith places the preservation of his Party’s identity before the good government of the country. The self-confnlenf announcement, directly after the general election, of the Machiavclian policy whereby he hopes to gain and retain power, proved this, and further proved that he is anxious and willing to perpetuate, if possible, the government of the country by a Party which is in a minority in the House. This experienced politician, reared in the political school of Gladstone, the greatest parliamentarian of his age, holds an axe over the head of Mr MacDonald, and threatens him momentarily with disruption. In such circumstances one would think that Mr MacDonald’s followers would be willing to drop without the slightest protest the pursuit of their own political fads and fancies, and would rally round their leader and afford him every support in placing his undoubtedly altruistic and beneficent policies before the nation and before the world. But, no. Apparently discipline is the last thing to bo expected of a Labour Party, and unswerving loyalty to it seems to be beyond its powers. So that what with the intractable nature of his own followers and the implacable nature of the Liberal leader who thirsts for power, it would seem that Mr MacDonald will he forced from office before he has done anything of any material importance either for his country or for the world. The Labour leader lias declared that if forced to resign lie will first demand from tho King a dissolution, and that his Majesty will have no option but to act on the advice of his Prime Minister. Mr Asquith, on the other hand, contends that while there exists a party which is prepared to form a Ministry with a view to carrying on the government of the country—as his party is prepared to do—tho obvious and correct procedure will bo for the King to call upon the leader of, that party to form a Ministry. The issue which will arise in such circumstances will he a constitutional one, and in view of lack of precedents whereby to gauge it, it will ho an interesting otic. Mr Asquith would hope to govern with the support of the , Conservatives, and it would be most- interesting to see what policy he would

propound with tiie help of Mr Lloyd George for the restoration of Britain s prosperity and the tranquilising of international politics. Possibly the Conservatives would bargin for certain of their political objectives to be achieved by tho Liberal Government-, and among these would certainly be the burning question Imperial Defence, and the naval protection of India and these distant Dominions. Such a working understanding between the Liberals and Conservatives might operate for quite a long time: combined, they possess a majority of 223 over the Labour Party.