LABOUR AND LIBERALS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 841, 9 December 1929, Page 9

LABOUR AND LIBERALS

MACDONALD MAKES MOVE FOR RAPPROCHEMENT PARTY LEADERS MEET LONDON, Saturday. It is reliably stated that a rapprochement which _is being attempted between the Labour Party and the Eile eral Party may result in an informal understanding which would ensure a comparatively long tenure of oifice by the Labour Government. The purpose of its promoters is understood to be to stabilise a Government which, while excluding the Conservatives on the one hand, and the Socialist extremists on the other, will include moderate Labour and advanced Liberal members, and perhaps a few progressive Conservatives. The movement originated in the suggestion made by the Prime Minister, Mr. MacDonald, that in nonparty matters the progressive members might co-operate in a sort of Council of State. CO-OPERATION THE GOAL The first overt movement in this direction was an informal consultation between Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Herbert Samuel and Sir John Simon (Liberals), which, although practically limited to matters of procedure, implied a certain degree of co-operation. Meanwhile the Liberal newspapers are significantly sympathetic. It is understood that the movement aims at co-operation, not necessarily at a coalition. Events in the House of Commons during the week, notably the Liberal intervention in the Cabinet's dilemma over the Unemployed Insurance Bill, have given colour to the talk of a rapprochement, of which an endorsement by the Labour Party may be forthcoming in a fortnight. REBEL CLYDESIDERS It will mean that Mr. MacDonald will be able to snap his fingers at the revolt of Messrs. Maxton and Kirkwood and the other Clydesiders. The "Liberal Magazine” asks: “Why not do the commonsense thing, and call on Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Baldwin to establish an ‘All Parties Committee’ for the conquest of unemployment? It is no longer reasonable to hope that the Government can deal with the unemployment problem without aid from the other parties, since it has been proved that Mr. J. H. Thomas, Minister in charge of unemployment, has no schemes which can immediately operate.” It is persistently stated that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Snowden, at yesterday's meeting with the recalcitrant Labour members of the House of Commons, threatened to resign if more demands were made for money for unemployment insurance. The attitude of the Clydesiders is doubtful, as only one of them, Mr. G. Buchanan, member for Gorbals, Glasgow, attended the meeting.