ROYAL ALLOWANCES SPLIT IN LABOUR RANKS BLAMED ON MR. ATTLEE

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 December 1947, Page 8

ROYAL ALLOWANCES SPLIT IN LABOUR RANKS BLAMED ON MR. ATTLEE

(N. Z. P. A. —Special—Copyright., London, Dec. 19. The “Daily Mirror” editorially blames Mr. Attlee for the division of the Parliamentary Labour Party on the question of the Royal allowances, and calls upon him to resign the Premiership. The “Daily Mirror,” which strongly supported the Labour Party in the General Election campaign and has intermittently supported it as the Government ever since, claims that the Select Committee originally decided to recommend that the allowances to Princess Elizabeth and her husband should be £45,000, and that this amount would have been unanimously approved. When a further proposal was made, however, that the sum should be increased to £50,000, a number of the younger members of the party expressed the view that the original figure should remain because, in the special circumstances of the time, an example of economy at the highest level would be a good lead for the nation. The “Mirror” claims that by missing the way over this extra £5OOO and not standing firm on the original proposals Mr. Attlee and his colleagues precipitated a split in the party ranks. “The revolt was the direct consequence of Mr. Attlee’s indecision and indifferent leadership. It is time he stepped down.”