Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1933 BRITISH POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 22 December 1933, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1933 BRITISH POLITICS

THERE was held, early last month, a by-election which seems to throw considerable light on the state of politics in Great Britain. The Kilmarnock seat, which had been held by a National Labourite, fell vacant and was contested by foui' candidates —a. National Labourite, a Labourite, an Independent Labourite, and a Scottish Nationalist. The first-mentioned of these candidates won, the Labourite coming second, and Air Ramsay AlacDoiiiald wrote to the winner of the scat: Warmest Congratulation to you on tin? result of the election. The fine co-operation of the. three parties has enabled the Kilmarnock electors iv spite of a confusion of candidates, to select you to help in national recovery and to strive for international peace. That shows that the National Labourites and the British Premier see eye-to-eyc politically, that Air MacDonald and his friends are trying | 0 build up a new Labour Party, and that the Labour Party in Great Britain is broken into at least three pa.rts. Commenting on the election, the London “Times” said: '1 he result, is particularly satisfactory because.' the victory has been won by a National Labour candidate, and because it is inevitable that the National Labour Party should have a

harder row lo hoo than their col leagues of other parties.

It will be remembered that when, two-and-a-half years ago, the British Labour Government broke up, and Mr MacDonald was threatened with political exile, the Conservative Party came to his rescue by accepting him as the head of a National Government, in spite of the fact that his following was only a handful of National Labourites. That party, though still unimportant, threatens to drive a wedge into the Labour Party, and it is evident that the success of the National Labour candidate at Kilmarnock gave great pleasure to the Conservative Party. The natural deduction has been drawn, therefore, that the Conservatives are shepherding Mr AlacDonald, partly in order that he may assist to split the British Labourites into two distinct parties—one of which is Socialist, and the other patriotic and anti-Socialist —which, it is hoped, will cancel each other out, and enable the Conservatives lo Hold the balance of power between them, after the next general election. If this surmise is correct, the faithfulness of the Conservatives to Mr MacDonald is explained: it is their hope that lie will form the effective spearhead of a party which -shall break the British Labourites into two parties, and so save the country from tho dangers of Socialism. There is no doubt about tho cleverness of this policy —if tho assumption is correct —but it remains to be seen what measure of success will attend it. With it is involved Air AlacDonald’s political 'fate. His erstwhile colleagues of tho Labour Party will never receive him back, neither is there the slightest reason for thinking that he desires to renew his association with them. He is apparently quite lmppy in the midst of the Conservative camp, where he is an honoured refugee who is actually asked lo bo tho nominal leader of a triumphant host. This explains the complacence of Air Baldwin, the natural leader of the existing National Government, but who for reasons of policy and from natural inclination plhys second fiddle, in order that the nominal head of tho Government may recruit his political strength and form a party which, while it will be no danger to the State, will form a useful means of checking Socialism. Air Baldwin recently said that at the next general election in Great Britain the question will be whether the country will tread the path of constitutional democracy, or whether it will scrap it. Evidently the ex-Premier includes Air AlacDonald among the constitutionalists, and all those who desire' to avert Socialism in Great Britain will rally to the Conservative banner, or to that of tlie National Labourites whom Air MacDonald may be expected to lead. Of course the next general election is a good way off, but it will be seen with what foresight the British political leaders are preparing for the preservation of constitutionalism, and all those who fear Socialism will give them their support’.