English Politics.

NZ Truth, Issue 351, 16 March 1912, Page 8

English Politics.

English Liberalism is on the backwash. Another by-election this week shows a marked decrease m the' Lib- ! eral vote. All sorts of rumors are current about the ■ Cabinet,- whose ; members, are' said to be anything hut a ; happy family. , Asquith is supposed to be tired of the game, and no wonder : for they, are heckling him ' from all sides, and the . suffragettes "af c perp'e- ; tually shrieking, at -him. - "John BulV! •this week publishes a'-. > „- •'■ ', ,> SENSATIDIsrAL' .STATEItf2N'T.,;' , ; ; to the effect that Asquith will, go to the Lords' before long- arid at the same time retire, from " office;., that . Lloyd George will be. Prune. Minister and-in-troduce the, new franchise bill with a clause including , female ! suffrage;; and that Churchill has' a big naval' programme up his. sleeve, .... including a naval " loan. , The . -last is probable enough. Meantime, the ' members of the Ministry continue .to do tlicmost foolish things. : Churchill insists on going to Belfast to ; iopen the Government's Home Rule campaign, .and, of course, ( the "TJister Orange 'fanatics are 'up' m arms,' and' are talking' light. Arid the -.Ancient Order; of Hib'erhiaus Urom the >south — thousands" of them — are said, to be preparing to marfch on Belfast' to , give., the. .'.Orangemen all they want, 'so the Lbr^l knows .what's ' going to happen.' Butthe Belfast speech is a • BAD ERROR- IN. TACTIC^ on the • part of the It gives the ' bilious Orange ■ bigots a chance of pretending to be martyrs to the cause of - "duty,"- arid .we all know how readily they jump at a shadow of .a grievance.' In Australia they quar-rel-without even the shadow.