BRITISH MINISTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19027, 29 May 1936, Page 9

BRITISH MINISTRY

SUPPORTERS RESTIVE DECLINE IN PRESTIGE CENTRE GROUP PROPOSED LONDON, May 21. The 'National Government, is making heavy weather, and there is a campaign, which has the support of influential people, for the formation of a strong centre group in the House of Commons. tsineo the French elections, the Liberal and Labour press has been writing about, the advantages of a “popular front” in British politics. Lord De La Warr, in speeches, is urging the formation of a strong centre group, which, he declares, would be more than a mere coalition of the supporters of the Government. The latest recruit in the campaign is Mr. Robert Bernays, an influential Independent Liberal, who declares that closer co-operation among the left-wing supporters of the Government may become an urgent necessity. Mr. Bernays, witli others, detects a decline in the prestige of the National Government. He foresees the eventual resignation of the Prime Minister, Air. Baldwin, and is afixious that this event should not be procured by, or result in. the predominance of the “die-luird” seclion of the Conservatives.

The Times, in a leading article, denies that, there are more than a handful ot members of the House of Commons who are consistently reactionary, but agrees that it is urgently necessary that those elements that are* common to all parties which believe in a National Government should perfect arrangements for close aim constant co-operation. “What is required is the reconstitution of a team which will possess the same appeal as that which existed last November,” it says. llie latest report is that Mr. Baldwin will make a supreme effort to end the ■unrest when lie dines privately on Thursday with the Conservative 1922 Committee, which is a very powerful body ol members of the House of Commons. It is declared that a rot set in with the Hoare-Laval plan. After it, tlie Whips never had the same authority over Hie back-benchers. TACTICAL ERRORS Not since the formation of the National government in 1931 has there been such unrest among its supporters. The climax to a series of minor reverses came on Monday, when the Ministers tried to force the House to debate a bill imposing compulsory amalgamation upon colliery owners. The bill, tho president of the Board of Trade, Mr. Runciman, declared, was to be drastically altered later. Mr. Baldwin', after hours with the Whips, covered the Government’s retreat by creating a Parliamentary precedent by insisting, that the debate should he continued on coal problems generally, hut no vote should he taken until a White Paper had been issued explaining the changes. Dissatisfied supporters are now also recalling tho recent muddle of the debate on equal pay for women in the. Civil Service, when the Government was resisted and defeated. There was also criticism of the delay in appointing a Minister to co-ordinate the defence programmes. Now uneasiness i& developing about sanctions. Another thorny problem ahead is the providing of regulations governing the payment of relief for unemployed who have exhausted their insurance benefits. The regulations issued hast, year had to he withdrawn unceremoniously, after operating for only a few r weeks. Consideration has been given to new rules, which will soon bo issued. Conservative members from-industrial areas have now warned the Government that unless the rules are sufficiently elastic to meet eases of real hardship they will oppose them. Tho leader ol the Independent Labour party, Mr. Attlee, in a speech, said : l 'f am not so sure we will not have another

general election soon. The Government i; showing every sign of decrepitude.” Mr. Ramsay MacDonald said in a speech: “My first love was science; perhaps I shall return to her. Many a wise man lias gone back to where lie started.”