SIR OSWALD MOSLEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21033, 23 May 1930, Page 9

SIR OSWALD MOSLEY

REASONS FOR RESIGNATION. STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE. STILL LOYAL TO LABOUR. ‘British Official Wireless.) (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, May 21. In the House of Commons Sir Oswald Mosley made a statement on the reasons which led to his resignation from the Government. He read abetter he had addressed to Mr ■ MacDonald, - in- which he stated that on January 23 ho submitted, a memorandum op unemployment, and in a covering, letter made it, clear that he had reached the very definite conclusion that it was impossible to continue as at present. Cabinet subsequently appointed a committee which presented a report, 1 which not only rejected in its entirety the memorandum,.' but also adopted a position which would involve the rejection of any effective alternative to the present policy. In those circumstances he held it inconsistent with honour for him to remain a member of the .Government. On the back benches he would remain in vote and action a loyal member of the Labour Party. VIEWS ’ON UNEMPLOYMENT. DISSATISFIED WITH MEASURES. LONDON, May 21. The Parliamentary Labour Party’s meeting, after hearing Sir Oswald Mosley’s personal statement on his resignation, decided to meet again to-morrow to consider, unemploymfent. It is understood that the meeting is essential because Sir Oswald 1 Mosley indicated that he would table a motion expressing dissatisfaction with the Government’s handling of unemployment which would be tantamount to a vote of censure. GOVERNMENT’S POSITION. A THREE-SIDED ATTACK. v _ LONDON, May 22. (Received May 22, at 10 p.m.) Nothing more emphatic appears in Conservative and Liberal journals concerning the gravity of thp Government’s position than that in the Labour’s owu organ, the Daily Herald, which says: •“ A first-class political crisis has developed with exceptional swiftness. The Tories have to challenge the Government on the naval treaty, and pressure is being put by the Liberals on the Government for an immediate decision in favour of proportional represents’ tion in urban , areas and an alternative vote in rural districts. Inside the Parliamentary Labour Party there is to be a critical division on the uinmployrient programme of the Government, and there will be another critical division on Wednesday on the salary of Mr Thomas. If the Tories and the Liberals go into the same lobbies and many Labour members of the House of "Commons abstain from voting or register hostile votes the Government will be defeated.” . The Herald stresses the fact, that the Ministry will be subjected to ‘a threesided attack. / Those who are closely in - touch with Mr MacDonald express the opinion that he intends to challenge defeat owing to discouragement, due to growing dissatisfaction in the Labour ranks. If he is defeated in the House of Commons he will immediately ask for a dissolution of Parliament. , : Sir Oswald Mosley, the rich Conservative who became, a Socialist, was born in November, 189(5, as the son of Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart. Educated at Winchester and Sandhurst, he served in France during the war, first with, the 16th Lancers and later with the Flying Corps, and was severely wounded. In 1920 he married Lady Cynthia, second daughter of the Marquis Curzon and nu heiress of some of the wealth of Mr Levi Letter, of Chicago. When he was elected Conservative M.P. for Harrow in 1918 Mr Mosley (as he then was) was the youngest member of the House. Under party discipline he soon grew restive, and in 1022 he became an Independent. In 1924 he joined the Labour Party, contesting the Ladywood division- of Birmingham, where he reduced Mr Neville Chamberlain’s majority to 77. His father, who was a strong Unionist, "repudiated the politics of his son. In 1926, after he. and his wife had visited the United States, Mr Mosley was returned for Smethwick after a triangular contest, during which lie moved info a hoarding house in the constituency, left his luxurious car in its garage and used an old hired motor, wliilc his wife was addressed as- Mrs Mosley. His opponents pointed out that he denounced unearned income, but lived on a fortune which he did not amass. The quarrel between him and his father came to a head in 1926. When it was rumoured - that his son and daughter were to repudiate their titles Sir Oswald (the father) wrote to the press suggesting that they would render more valuable aid to the countrv if,‘instead of achieving cheap publicity about the relinquishing of titles, they would relinquish some of their wealth, and so help to make easier the plight of some of their more unfortunate followers. His son replied that when he joined the Labour Party he stated his intention to renounce his title when his father died. He found tha,t he could not do so legally, but added: “It will he quite easy not to be addressed by it. .Sir Oswald, returning to the charge, said: “My son was brought up on the fat of the. land, and never did a day’s work in his life. For him to speak as he does now is nothing but hypocrisy.” Sir Oswald died in September, 1028, and his son succeeded to the unwanted title.