BRITISH PARTIES

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14256, 6 January 1920, Page 5

BRITISH PARTIES

LABOUR IN POLITICS. PERIOD OP DEVELOPMENT. NOT YET READY FOR POWER. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received Jan. 7, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 5. The Spen Valley result, coupled with the fact that at the last nine bye-elec-tions the Labour vote has increased from 38,722 to 97,473, whereas the coalition vote 'has fallen from 80,477 to 79,090, raises the question in several newspapers whether Labour is ready to assume the responsibility of Government. Mr Winston' Churchill maintained, in a speech at Sunderland, that the party is now in that period of development when it is quite, unfitted for the task, and would come hopelessly to grief. Several prominent Labour leaders recently admitted that the party was not yet ready for the Treasury benches, and does not desire office following the next election. Moderate men in the party think that a preliminary period in strong opposition would better fit them for power. The general result of the bye-elec-tions seems to indicate the weakeping of the Liberal Party as a political force, coupled with the eventual coalescing of the present coalition into a Centre Party, attracting all shades of political thought except Labour, and perhaps the extreme Tory, which might form a party under Lord Robert Cecil.