COMMON WEALTH MOVEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24555, 10 April 1943, Page 6

COMMON WEALTH MOVEMENT

The British Common Wealth party, or more strictly, movement, has forced itself on public attention by winning a by-election. While it was merely putting up candidates to be defeated, it could be politely ignored. Now notice must be taken of it. War conditions, especially when accompanied by party truces, seem to breed new political movements, and Common Wealth is the British answer to this urge. It was formed in July of last year, so it has not taken long to score its first electoral success. Its ranks include men of political experience. Sir Richard Acland, who has been member for Barnstaple since 1935, is vice-chair-man. He resigned from the Liberal Party in September to give his whole support to the Common Wealth. Movement., Mr., .Vernon

Bartlett, M.P., and Mr. G. Reakes, M.P., are both members, while Mr. J. B. Priestley, better known to a wide public than many who sit in Parliament, was one of the founders. Actually, the movement was formed by fusion of Sir Richard Acland's "Forward March" movement with Mr. Priestley's 1941 Committee. Its programme contains little that is new in principle. It advocates such things as greater equality of work, sacrifice and opportunity, a more concentrated drive for victory, full aid to Russia, social reform as the basis of world reconstruction after the war, and repudiation of any policy of vengeance against the rank and file of Axis countries once their leaders are overthrown. Whether a policy of detail such as this will have a wide enough general appeal to make it a real political force remains to be proved. Meantime, it is enjoying the increased attention that a first success always brings.