POLITICAL TRENDS IN UNITED KINGDOM

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 March 1947, Page 5

POLITICAL TRENDS IN UNITED KINGDOM

SOME CONSERVATIVES FORECAST I LABOUR CRISIS THIS YEAR I

(Special from A. Recd- 6.30 p.m. London, March 7. Whether British politics will be influenced by the coal crisis and the effect on the country’s economic and industrial position is at present causing some speculation. At the moment it seems safe to say that there will be no immediate reactions, but there is a certain amount of conjecture as to' what may occur during the next six months. Speculation springs from the fact that the Government must meet intesified industrial problems at a time when it has a heavy administrative programme, and when one of its ( most important members is indefinitely incapacitated by sickness. The Government was relying upon Mr. Herbert Morrison, to steer it through a heavy party programme and to keep its six major Bills moving through the committee stage. His absence resulted in the recent changes in the Ministerial posts. Mr. Greenwood, who is deputising for him as leader of the House of Commons, has found his time so fully occupied that he has been obliged to relinquish the post of Paymaster General, now taken over by Mr. Marquane. and Mr. Witson, and Mr. Durbin have been appointed Parliamentary Secretary Secretaries to the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Works, respectivelyMr. Morrison's absence has also increased the burden of Mr. Attlee, while with Mr. Aneurin Bevan ill, as well and Mr. Bevln in Moscow for at least two months, the Prime Minister has still further responsibilities. These facts, together with the recently rumoured differences within the Cabinet—lt is reported that Mr. Shinwell did not speak to Mr. Attlee or Sir Stafford Cripps, for three days during the height of the coal crisis—gave rise to talk about Cabinet changes. It is now stated that Mr. Attlee does not propose to make any further major changes in the con-! struction of the Government this ses- i sion: but the question continually be-1 mg asked whether Cabinet, in face of ; the economic situation and its heavy party programme, will be able to handle the task adequately. Talk of anything approaching a political crisis is dismissed almost contemptuously by Labour circles, who tend to regard it as “Tory wishful thinking" or a Tory belief that the country cannot do without them. At the same time the Labour Party is not without its internal dissensions. These have been apparent

i. W. Mitchell.) . in the dissatisfaction of a section with - what is referred to as “Mr. Bevin’l » foreign policy,” and on the subject or 1 conscription. Those who suggest that - political difficulties may occur believe i t that they may spring from the couni try’s economic and industrial position. 5 Rightly or wrongly, they are begin- )’ ning to claim that while the Labour : Party can produce plans it cannot put • them into operation, and that it does t not contain men of sufficient experiUence to carry the country through the - i present difficulties. >. Recent talk of a Coalition was treat- -, ed disdainfully by Mr. Attlee, and abruptly dismissed in the House of i Commons by Mr. Churchill. : Nevertheless, the idea is not en- [ tirely dead, and talk is now beginning ' to veer towards what is termed as a > strengthening of the Labour front ; bench. Just how this can be done ■ without a Coalition or .National Gov- » ernment is not made clear. » In spite of the criticism, there has : been no noticable swing of public ■ opinion in favour of the Conservatives, i But the Conservatives now are begin- • ning to congratulate themselves on ■ Mr. Churchill s policy statement at r Blackpool last year. At that time, I and for some weeks afterwards, there was a good deal of discontent at Mr. ■ Churchill’s statement of policy, which , was declared-to be no policy at all, , Now the Conservatives are beginning ■ to think that “the old man,” as he ■ affectionately is called, was politically . wise. They feel he was shrewd in not r committing himself, but reserving a • declaration of policy until the time • \vhen Labour found itself in a more • complicated and less fortunate posi- ; tion. Some Conservatives even go so far to suggest that there may be a poitical crisis in the autumn, with a split in the Labour ranks, •! and break away of the extremI ists. Though this may be regard- | ed at the moment only as pure speculation the Labour Party certainly has difficulties ahead. > Only one thing seems certain at : the moment, that is that speculation 1 about political changes and internal - dissensions in the Labour Party will i undoubtedly continue during the sum- ’ mer; and that if a political crisis ■ should occur it will do so simultaneously with the economic crisis. • Whether both can be avoided is at • present a matter of party opinion, : forecasts and beliefs.