BRITAIN’S VOTE

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1935, Page 5

BRITAIN’S VOTE

FORECAST OF RESULTS LABOUR GAINS EXPECTED i ACTION AGAINST BANKS DECLARATION BY LEADER FEATURES OF ELECTION

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 28. “If Labour gains power the first thing it will invade will be ‘the temple of the golden calf in Threadneedle Street—the Bank of England,”’ was one of the earliest declarations of the new Labour leader,- Mr. C. R. Attlee. The general assumption is that Labour will gam numerous seats, but insufficient to reach the Treasury benches. A feature of the election is the 60 women candidates, including a duchess and a viscountess, a composer and two doctors. Twenty of the 60 are Government candidates, 31 Socialists, seven Liberals and two Independents. Two sisters are fighting under rival banners. Miss Bridget Jackson is standing as a Conservative for the late Mr. Zjthur Henderson’s seat, and her sister, the Hon. Mrs. Christopher Fremantle, is standing as a Socialist for St. George’s, Westminster. Miss F. Scarborough, Government candidate for Monmouth, often conducts her own compositions at Queen’s Hall. There is a decided sporting invasion, including Sir Malcolm Campbell at Deptford; the Lancashire cricket captain, Mr. P. T. Eckersley, for the Exchange division of Manchester; the' international Rugby player, Mr. W. W. Wakefield, for Swindon; and three outstanding amateur boxers, all of whom are Nationalists. The youngest candidate is Mr. Roy Ducross, aged 22, who is opposing Mr. Lloyd George. MUNICIPAL POLLS. Party preparations for the elections are complicated in many districts by campaigns already in full swing for municipal elections in boroughs and county boroughs, which will take place on November 1. An Independent Labour Party manifesto declares relentless opposition to rearmament on the ground that it sacrifices hopes of social improvement. It asks voters to realise that Socialism is the only solution to national problems and to reject futile schemes to patch up capitalism, whether emanating from the National Government or the Labour Party. Features of the day’s election news were Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s sharp attack on Labour and speculation arising from Sir Herbert Samuel’s action ir, sharing three broadcasts allotted to him as Leader of the Liberals with Mr. Lloyd George and Viscount Snowden. It is rumoured that Mr. Lloyd George has captured Sir Herbert Samuel s Liberals as supporters of his “new deal.” The opinion is expressed that Sir Herbert Samuel’s machine probably received a gift of money from the famous “Lloyd George Fund,” enabling it to run additional candidates. In other words, the astute Welsh leader may have recruited 150 to 200 candidates without ( the trouble of finding themi The Samuelites are frankly jubilant at the capture of Lord Snowden, whose broadcast, it will be remembered, helped the National Government into office. Lord Snowden will support the new deal.” Thus the Liberals oratorically are greatly strengthened for this. BOTH PARTIES PROTEST. Both Conservatives and Labour have protested against Lord Snowden’s broadcast and demand that a Liberal be substituted. The Liberals refuse and say there has been — - breach of contract. In the meantime it is understood that Government candidates will be advised to boycott Mr. Lloyd George’s questionnaire. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, speaking at the National Labour Conference in Caxton Halt, lashed out against the Opposition Labour. He said: “Some of us who worked long years with them know of nothing more callous and more reckless than the pledges they now give in the full knowledge that they could not be redeemed.” Dealing with world trade, Mr. MacDonald said: “An Empire colonial policy should be pursued which, by developing Imperial resources, would provide openings for our workpeople. This is possible without depriving a single Dominion or colonial workman of a job.” The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, speaking at Wolverhampton, also exposed the weakness of the Labour Party, saying he regretted that it had no one with an intimate knowledge of Britain’s defence I requirements. Sir John S'imon at Heckmondwike declared that the Labour policy, with its fantastic proposal to put the banks business under Socialist managers, would undermine the country’s fundations as it did in 1931 and bring a trail of ruin. Candidates so far adopted by political parties to contest seats at the election number 1295. Of this total 557 represent the National Government. Prospective Opposition candidates number 738, including 540 Labour, 175 Liberal, 21 Independent Labour Party and two Communists.