VAST CHANGES

Southland Times, Issue 20586, 10 September 1928, Page 7

VAST CHANGES

ENGLAND’S MINISTRY. A NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS. PROBLEM FOR CONSERVATIVES. (Rec. 5.5 pjn.) London, September 8. The Daily Express on the front page features an announcement that more than 50 per cent, of members of the House of Commons have already decided not to seek re-election at the June general election. Political organizers in close touch with the parties predict that the figure is likely to grow to 200. News follows that at least four members of Cabinet will retire at the end of the present Parliament. The Daily Express says these are Lord Birkenhead, Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Rt. Hon. W. C. Bridgeman, and the Hon. Sir W. Mitchell-Thompson. The latest development means that the Conservative Party have now to concern themselves with the selection of scores of new candidates for seats already held because by far the greatest retirements have taken place among the Conservative back benches. In one respect these are strangely assorted and include young men for whom a future has been prophesied, middleaged who have plodded on without especial distinction and elderlies with years of political service, suffering either from tiredness or disappointment. Thus even before ihe noise and tumult of the general election begins to swell, it is certain that the complexion of next Parliament and the next Ministry will be vastly different.—Australian Press Association.