LIBERAL “ULTIMATUM”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 9

LIBERAL “ULTIMATUM”

LLOYD GEORGE DRAWS CAUSTIC COMMENT (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) j LONDON, Friday. Mr. Lloyd George’s first speech after j the election is referred to in the head- I lines in all the non-Liberal newspapers j as an “ultimatum,” and it lias drawn some caustic comments. The “Morning Post” says Mr. Lloyd George, with a minority of 5S members in the House of Commons, claims that he can dictate a policy or govern through the Government. A dictator who proposes to govern the country by means of a minority of one to 10 lias no right to complain of the democratic inequalities of the electoral system, since he is himself a “stultification of democracy.” The “Daily Telegraph” says that what galls Mr. Lloyd George is that neither the Conservative Leader, Mr. Baldwin, nor the Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, has made any overtures for Liberal support. He wanted to be able to say that he had had an offer, and had remained neutral from cilice. The present position is much the same as in 1924, which. Mr. Lloyd George had vowed would never recur. Now apparently he is prepared to support the Socialists in everything short of nationalisation, if he gets electoral reform. It is a safe prediction, says the “Telegraph,” that the Liberals in the new House of Commons, will neither vote nor abstain from voting unitedly on crucial issues. If Mr. Lloyd George carries out his threat to precipitate a premature election, it will be the Liberals, not the Labour Party, that will suffer at the hands of the outraged electorate. The country has confidence in the Government, and wants to see it given a fair chance to make good. LUCKY LAST SEAT CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE WINS AT RUGBY COMMONS NOW COMPLETE (Australian and A.Z. Press Association) Reed. 11 a.m. LONDON, Friday. The Rugby election, made necessary through the death of the Labour candidate after the general election nominations, resulted;— Cr.ptain D. Margesson, Con. ... 15,147 Mi. John Morgan, Lab 11,583 Mr. Robert Bernays, Lib. .. 10,158 The 1924 election resulted: Captain Margesson (Con.), 14,434; Mr. A. E. Brown (Lib.), 10,524; Mr. H. Yates (Lab.), 3,768. The House of Commons is now complete, and the parties stand: Labour 289 Conservatives 260 Liberals 58 Miscellaneous 8 Total 615