THESE ARE DIFFICULT DAYS FOR BRITISH LABOUR PARTY

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 May 1948, Page 5

THESE ARE DIFFICULT DAYS FOR BRITISH LABOUR PARTY

Many Small Internal Rifts Mount To Something Of Moment

' (From Alan Mitchell, Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent) Received 6 p.m. LONDON, May 6 These are difficult days for Britain’s Labour Party. After recovering from the awkward period last autumn it seems once again to be passing through a troublesome phase of. internal disputes, which do not tend to raise its prestige with the nation.

These disputes do not apply only to Left-wingers in foreign affairs, the some of whom, in addition to embarrassing the party with their telegram, have also replied sharply to Mr. Attlee for his criticism of Communism. Nor are they concerned only with whether or not members should attend The Hague Conference, at which Mr. Churchill will be a leading light.

There also is trouble in the coalmines, uneasiness in the steel industry, discontent over wage pegging, dislike of suspension of capital punishment, some restiveness among workers who now realise they will have to contribute weekly to the new health scheme and queries about the continued need for clothes rationing. MINERS DISCONTENTED. None, it might be claimed, are serious fundamentally, but the net result is doubtless damaging to the party’s prestige. For instance, part of the trouble in the coal mines centres round the rooted objection to miners in Waleswood colliery, Sheffield, being told that their mine is to be closed in September on the score of economy. The miners have come out on strike for a second time, though they have been told that they must accept the board's decision. Mixed up with this dispute has been erroneous reports by the “Daily Herald,” the Labour Party organ, that Lord Hyndley, the board chairman, and Sir Charles Reid, its production manager, would resign v/dess the men ceased their obstructions. Both denied the report, but it seemed strange that it should have been made by a Labour paper. Then there was the amazingly candid comment by Mr. Shinwell about the Labour Party having too little detailed preparation about nationalisation schemes.

"When the mining industry was nationalised," he said, "we thought we knew all about it. As a matter of fact, we did not," and he added that despite all safeguards, consultation between the management and workers had not worked out too well. It was Manna from heaven to the Conservatives, now marshalling their forces to oppose the nationalisation of steel. It was also considered damaging to the Labour Party, especially since Mr. Edwards is to appear before the national executive for making a more limited criticism of steel nationalisation policy. Recent events have also shown that whatever internal differences there may be over the policy for nationalisation of steel, there certainly is criticism of the Government’s steel supply policy. It was heard at the annual conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions.

STEEL VERY IMPORTANT. Sir Mark Hodgson, in his presidential address, declared: “Unless steel supplies improve there will be considerable unemployment among shipbuilding workers.” There had, he added, been similar complaints from workers in the agricultural machinery industry and engineering and vehicles industries. This same conference, despite Government policy, also decided to press for an all-round increase of 13s a week on basic wage rates. One delegate said no delay in dealing with the wage claim could be tolerated. The conference listened in silence to Sir Stafford Cripps when he told it: “Price reduction is the real solution to our problem, and not an increase in personal income.” The Conservatives, of course, are regarding the various internal schisms of the Socialists with some amusement, and perhaps gratification, though at the same time they are deeply disturbed about the general economic situation of the country. Their reaction to Marshall aid is a mixture of relief that it gives Britain

a temporary economic injection, tempered by a realisation that the crisis might otherwise become so acute that a general election would be inevitable by the coming autumn. Such an early general election, they feel, might have been in their favour, for they believe that the trend of political events is running their way. “We'feel we have now won back the floating vote —though of course, we are not content with that,” a leading Conservative told me this week. To counteract this trend the Socialists are hoping that their annual conference at Whitsun will help clear t!,e air for them and provide the necessary opportunity of once more presenting a solid front to the nation.