THE ROAD BACK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27391, 17 May 1950, Page 7

THE ROAD BACK

British Labour Party TASK OF RECOVERING LOST GROUND Leaders To Meet In Secret NZPA Special Correspondent Rev. 7 p.m. LONDON, May 16. When the leaders of the British Labour Party and co-operative movement meet in secret conference at the Beatrice Webb Guest House, Dorking, Surrey, this week-end, they will not only consider reports by party organisers upon Labour’s loss of ground at the general election, but will also make plans to recover that ground. Since the election an increasing number of members of the Labour Party have urged the need for a clear and unequivocal restatement of the aims and objectives of British Socialism and have expressed the belief that the party’s road back to success lies neither along the path of appeasement nor of extremism. There has been considerable criticism of the ineffectiveness of the party election manifesto in February and the call for more realistic recognition of the fact that if Labour is t<) regain a working majority it must win a number of marginal seats in wihch voters are neither exclusively middle nor working class and neitner rural nor urban. Three Approaches While the Left Wing of the party, led by the Health Minister, Mr Aneurin Bevan, still contends that Labour lost ground because it is not sufficiently Socialist in its programme, a considerably larger section believes with Mr Herbert Morrison, the Leader of the House, that moderation and consolidation will have the most important influence in the marginal seats. There is, however, a third section which, while it largely shares Mr Morrison’s views, is convinced that the time has come for a much bolder approach to the electorate. It believes, for instance, that the party should state plainly that a number of Governmental controls have come to stay and to challenge the Conservatives to show that they can be reduced or discarded. It also believes that State ownership of existing nationalised undertakings must be strongly defended without committing the party to any further large-scale acquisitions. The chief difference between the extremists and moderates is that JAr Bevan and his friends want the party to advocate further nationalisation, including cement, chemicals, water, sugar, and wholesale meat distribution, while the moderates want to complete the nationalisation of iron and steel and then call a halt. The argument about nationalisation is likely to be one of the chief issues at the Dorking conference, but behind it will be a still wider > issue—whether British , Socialism in future is to temper its policies to the mood of caution and restraint, whether it is to consolidate its gains and at the same time firmly reassert its Socialist convictions. or whether it is to proceed relentlessly and undeviatingly to the full and final objectives of doctrinaire Socialism. Apart from discussing the broad issues of future policy, nowever, the conference must consider measures to replenish the party’s election fighting funds and also the general state of its election machine.

Its conclusions and decisions will be embodied in a new draft party policy statement which will be prepared and issued in due course by the national executive of the party. There will be no opportunity for a full dress debate upon this policy statement by the Labour rank and file until the annual party conference in October. If, therefore, an election takes place before October, the Dorking conference and the party executive may well have the last word on the subject. Demands on Party

The Dorking conference will not only be attended by all members of the Cabinet, but also by Trades Union Congress executives and leaders of the Co-operative Trading Movement. These last, it is reported, are dissatisfied with the place given to their movement in councils of the Labour Party, and may urge that they be given fuller representation in future.

The trades union leaders ard also likely to take up with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps, the difficulties they are encountering in maintaining the TUC’s backing for the Government’s wages policy. Out of all these arguments the party leaders will not only have to hammer a new policy, but will also have to ensure that it is ready for presentation to the public whenever the need arises.