POLITICS AT HOME

Southland Times, Issue 21274, 20 December 1930, Page 7

POLITICS AT HOME

LABOUR LEGISLATION THE ELECTORAL REFORM BILL APPROVAL BY PARTY (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright) (Rcc. 11.45 p.m.) London, December I*. Important political moves designed to enable the Labour Party Up retain office for a further two years or face an earlier general election with what are considered good battle cries were made yesterday. The National Executive of the Labour Party approved of the inclusion of the alternative vote in the forthcoming Electoral Reform Bill in addition to the. points laid out in the Labour programme of electoral reform approved by the recent annual conference of the party. These include a reduction of election expenses, the publication of accounts by political parties, the prohibition of the use of motor cjirs at elections except for the sick and infirm, the abolition of plural voting and universal qualification, the division of double-mem-bered constituencies into two single-member constituencies and a reduction in the costs of election petitions. According to lobbyists an important decision was reached at a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the National Executive and Labour Peers. It is understood that the meeting approved of the text or the Electoral Reform Bill including the alternative vote, the restriction on the use of motor cars at elections, the division of two-member constituencies and reductions in candidates’ cxjienses. Mr J. Maxton vehemently protested that the Bill meant yielding to the Liberals' blackmail. Mr Ramsay MacDonald and Mr Arthur Henderson denied any pact with the Liberals, but members admit that they obtained the impression that the price obtained for the alternative vote is Liberal support in the Trades Disputes Bill. Sir Oswald Mosley surprised everyone by accepting the Electoral Reform Bill and appealing for party unity. Mr MacDonald declared that, it would be. political .suicide to go to the country at present. Mr Henderson, supporting this view, made it clear that the party was aiming at remaining in office for a further two years. Hope was expressed that unemployment would diminish. The Government’s greatest, present difficulty is the School Age Bill, 40 members indicating that they must vote against it. A further report states that the President of the Board of Education, Sir Charles Trevelyan, announced in the House of Commons that he was unable to complete the committee debate on the. School Age Bill as ho was proposing in the New Year to hold conferences regarding voluntary schools. LABOUR'S POSITION EARLY ELECTION NOT DESIRED. (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) London, December 19. At the meeting of the Labour Party Sir Oswald Mosley said they would lose a hundred seats if they went to the country in the immediate future. Mr MacDonald wound up in the same strain. He seemed, like the rest, to assume that the Liberals were so frighetned that they were prepared to risk anything rather than an election at present. It remains to be seen whether Sir John Simon and others share this view. The News-Chronicle is reconciled to a still further period of Labour. It says: However bitterly the Liberals criticize the Government, it is infinitely preferable, to a protectionist Tory administration.