BRITISH LABOUR PARTY

Southland Times, Issue 23141, 6 March 1937, Page 3

BRITISH LABOUR PARTY

Troubles In Britain \ A NEW LEFT WING FORMED LONDON, February 3. The British Labour Party is having internal troubles again. The chief thorn in its side at the moment is Sir Stafford Cripps. He is a. man of strong and decided views and the courage of his convictions, which are not necessarily those of the Labour Party. Now Sir Stafford Cripps has been instrumental in the 'formation of a Left Wing United Front, composed of the Socialist League, of which he is one of the leaders, the Communist Party and the Independent Labour . Party. This has caused disruption in the Labour ranks. The Labour Party refuses to countenance the alliance and has warned its members to stand by the decision of the next party conference or to take the consequences, which means expulsion. Independents and Communists The objective of this new section has been described as an effort to paint the Socialist movement a brighter red. The division of feeling within the Labour ranks is of some years’ standing, since the Independent Labour Party broke away from the main body in 1932, and the Socialist League was formed to absorb those members of the Independent Labour Party who preferred to remain within the Socialist Party. Now the pot has boiled over again and most of the members of the league have gone over to the Independent Labour Party, to which the Communist Party has attached itself, no doubt with some satisfaction since, at the Labour Party’s conference last year, affiliation with the Communist Party was rejected. The Socialist League itself, however, has not been too happy over the formation of the new “united front,” and this was shown by the voting at the private conference. Although the motion approving of united action with the other two parties was carried by 56 votes to 38, there were 23 abstentions. These figures represent a card vote under a system in which delegates may represent a group of branches. Only Small Membership

The total membership of the new wing does not amount to more than about 20,000 people, with six members of Parliament, four belonging to the Independent Labour Party, one to the Communist Party, and another, Sir Stafford Cripps, to the Socialist League, which is about 3000 strong. The most remarkable thing about the manifesto which the new wing has issued is the support given it by certain trade union officials. The manifesto calls for “unity of all sections of the working class movement,” and for “unity in the struggle against Fascism, reaction and war, and against the ‘National’ Government.” Lt further urges: “Unity in the struggle for immediate demands, and the return of a Labour' Government, as the next stage in the advance to working-class power; unity through the removal of all barriers between sections of the working-class movement, through the strengthening of trade unionism and co-operation, through the adoption of a fighting programme of mass struggle, through the democratization of the Labour Party and the trade union movement.” Cut Off From Party ’ Commenting upon the league’s action, The Daily Herald, the Labour national daily newspaper, said: “By its regrettable decision to form a ‘united front’ with the Communists and the Independent Labour Party, the Socialist League cuts itself off from the Labour Party. It has been pleaded in excuse of the Socialist League that it is merely exercising its democratic right to try to change party policy. This is the merest rubbish. The Socialist League is directly contravening party policy. It is evident from the vote that many of the league’s 3000 members will not follow their leaders, but will remain in loyal and active partnership for democratic Socialism with the 420,000 individual and 2,000,000 affiliated members of the Labour Party. For the decision leaves the league with no life or purpose of its own. The Communists will swallow it. It is almost out of sight now.”