BRITISH POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19014, 9 November 1923, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

ELECTION PROSPECTS. EARLY DATE POSSIBLE. LABOUR OPPOSITION ASSURED. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyrigai LONDON, November 8. (Received Nov. 8, at 8 p.m.) The Daily Telegraph’s Parliamentary correspondent says: “1 would in no way outride altogether the possibility of a general election before Christmas, though the greatest weight of Unionist opinion appears to favour the last week in January. The choice of date will largely depend on events in Parliament next week. If certain proposed extensions to the Safeguarding of Industries Act are challenged as a breach of Mr Bonar Law’s pledge, Mr Baldwin may decide immediately to seek the" country’s verdict on the programme which ho outlined at Manchester. Possibly, therefore, the country might be in the midst of an election campaign within a fortnight.'’ Mr Ramsay MacDonald, speaking at Gymmer, said that the Labour Party would attack Mr Baldwin with all the energy and enthusiasm which it could command. ' The Marquis of Salisbury (DeputyLeader of the House of Lords), speaking at Hull, said that if by a system of preference we could to some extent lower the wall against us in the dominions in return for certain fiscal advantages it would he in the interests of Freetrade. Mr Amery, in a speech at Hanley, said that Mr Baldwin had especially excluded wheat and meat from the proposed new tariff so as to take away the old parrot cry about taxing the people’s food.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE LEAMINGTON BY-ELECTION. COUNTESS OF WARWICK’S CAMx PAIGN. LONDON, November 7. (Received Nov. 8, at 5.5 p.m.) The Countess of Warwick, in her election address, points out that she joined the Labour movement a quarter of a century ago. She states that the transference of her political allegiance to Labour was made in no spirit of levity, for it meant social ostracism by old friends, the severance of old ties, and the denial of class privilege which she had been taught to accept unreservedly. The Countess declares that tariffs are the ’apitalists’ device for exploiting the working classes. She .intends to tour the constituency with a team of four white ponies. Mr H. G. Wells has written wishing the Countess success.—A. and N.Z.- Cable.