PARTY POLITICS IN BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 24760, 3 June 1942, Page 5

PARTY POLITICS IN BRITAIN

Labour’s Uneasiness (Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, June 1. The demand in Britain for a second front is still active, but has been somewhat mollified by recent statements in Britain and in the United States. The increasing “austerity,” the coal dispute and party politics are among the main features of topical comment in Britain today. The austerity measures include the tightening up of the rules for clothing and hotel meals, the laying up of private cars, the standardization wherever possible of the 52-hour week for industrial workers and the 46-hour week for office staffs, and also a warning that public travelling will shortly be curtailed and non-essential journeys cut out. From Monday the manufacture is ceasing of lace curtains, with a great reduction in such things as felt hats, cloth caps and mattresses. Shoes will be patched instead of re-soled and will be re-heeled. All these measures indicate growing shortages and also Britain’s determination to put everything into the war effort. MINERS’ DEMANDS Coal and the question of rationing fuel and light together form one of the chief domestic questions. The Economist observes that a battle for political power is now going on. behind the scenes. “At present it is raging around the coal industry,” it says. The Evening Standard _ comments: “Coal politically is dynamite.” Cabinet is now considering the miners’ demands for increased wages. Meanwhile thousands of miners who were striking have returned to work pending a decision. One of Britain’s great needs at the moment is an increased coal output for, while rationing of domestic and industrial consumers is essential, it is not thought that this measure is enough to meet the situation. It is realized that . some time will elapse before rationing can start for which reason a “save fuel” campaign is being introduced. There is nothing new about coal disputes in Britain. The industry has been subject to fierce political and industrial strife for many years, but it has again been brought into the limelight as the result of the great demand for coal, the shortage of labour and a comparison of wages with those of other war industries. More still will certainly be heard about coal and fuel rationing. PRESERVING IDENTITIES

Party politics came into the limelight last week during the Labour Party’s annual conference, which showed that Labour is by no means comfortable in its association with other elements in the National Government. It is also uneasy regarding the political truce, feeling, for one thing, that Independents have been getting into Parliament on Labour views. It is this keenness of the political parties to preserve their identities which forms the background of much criticism of Mr Churchill. The Conservatives expect him to remember that he leads the party, in addition to the nation, and Labour looks to him to proclaim a people’s peace. One chief thing New Zealanders would do well to bear in mind is the fact that none of the internal differences of opinion in Britain affect the country’s determination to defeat Naziism. If proof is needed of this spirit and ability it is unnecessary to look further than the 1000 plane raid on Cologne.