PROMINENT LABOUR MEMBER RESIGNS

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 October 1948, Page 5

PROMINENT LABOUR MEMBER RESIGNS

OPPOSES NATIONALISATION OF STEEL INDUSTRY. (N.Z P A.—Reuter—Copyright.) LONDON, Oct 26.—Mr. Ivor Thomas, formerly Under-Secretary for Aviation and Colonies in the present Government, has resigned from the Labour Party because he disagrees with the Government’., plans to nationalise the steel industry and reform the Housee of Lords. “These contentious measures,” he says in a letter to Mr. Attlee, “cannot fail to impair that national unity which is essential if we aie to show our full strength abroad in this critical time. The Parliament Bill cannot be reconciled with the plain and grammatical meaning of *i?t us face the future,’ on which Labour fought the election. If such major constitutional questions cannot be resolved by inter-party agreement, thev should be submitted fairly and square’v to the electorate and not enacted by the use of a temporary majority in the House of Commons, which was gained on other issues.” The Labour Party earlier this year expelled Mr. A. Edwards oecause of his “general political conduct.” Mr. Edwards has frequently criticised the proposed nationalisation of the iron and steel industry. He stated that to nut the steel industry into lhe hands of the civil service was suicide.