Attlee Administration Faces Critical Test On Decisive Budget Votes

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 April 1950, Page 5

Attlee Administration Faces Critical Test On Decisive Budget Votes

Decision Of Libera! Party May Unseat

Labour Government

LONDON. April 26 (Rec. 8.15 pm).—Britain’s Labour Government will face the most critical test of its two-months-old razor-edge existence tonight—two Budget votes on either of which defeat would almost certainly mean resignation and new elections.

All Britain looked on tensely as the party leaders rounded up every’ man Jack for crucial votes, with results expected to be as close as any in recent Parliamentary history. Early today* some political observers calculated the Government might scrape through with as small a margin as two votes, but Mr. Attlee’s shaky live-majority Administration had menacing factors to contend with. One was the decision by the nine Parliamentary Liberals to vote with the Conservatives against the Government on the proposed Budget increases in petrol duty and the im--position of a sales tax on commercial f vehicles. Because of the closeness of the voting strength both parties nervously looked northwards to West Dumbartonshire. Scotland, where the result of the by-election was expected about noon today. If Labour wins there Tom Steele may be flown to Parliament to take the oath and then vote for the Government. If the Conservatives win they, too, may hire an aircraft to rush their man, Commander R. A. Allan, to London. LONDON, April 25-—The nine Liberal members of Parliament decided tonight to vote with the Opposition against the Government in the vital Commons vote tomorrow on the petrol tax increase. This decision sharply increased the political tension as it became increasingly uncertain whether the Labour Government could now avert defeat in the crucial Budget vote.

i There are six Labour members who I will be too sick to vote, and observers I reckon that Mr. Attlee’s majority—--lif there is a majority—will now be as slender as two. Defeat would almost certainly mean the resignation of the Government—and a fresh general election. The maximum line-up possible in the Commons tomorrow would be:— Labour 310 (less 2 tellers), Conservatives 294 (less 2 tellers), Liberals 9. Sickness on both sides is an unpredictable factor and thus the Liberal vote will be crucially important. Conservative Party agents throughout Britain have been alerted for another general election on or about May 31, says the political correspondent of the “Daily Herald.” Although the Tories in Parliament believe that the Government will repulse their Budget challenge tomorrow, there is a possibility that illness or other unavoidable causes of absence in the Labour ranks may give them an unexpected victory. The “Financial Times” political correspondent says the view is held that the Government is likely to scrape through because a number of Socialist invalids have returned to duty. The stiffening of the Opposition’s attitude as indicated by Mr. Churchill’s fighting speech is causiig grave concern in Government circles, where it is assumed th? Conservatives would not hesitate to inflict a defeat oit the Government even if this means a general election. If the Government is defeated Mr. Attlee would have the alternative of asking his Majesty to dissolve Parliament for a new election of advising him to send for Mr. Churchill.