LABOUR TO STAY IN OFFICE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 114, 27 February 1950, Page 3

LABOUR TO STAY IN OFFICE

COALITION OUT OF THE QUESTION

When Mr Attlee left No. 10 Downing Street after the Cabinet meeting he was smiling. He was greeted with terrific cheers from a large crowd. At first he refused a statement to reporters, but when he was pressed he said: “Well, we are carrying on.’

Asked if everyone was happy, the Lord President of the Council (Mr Herbert Morrison) replied ,as he left No. 10 Downing Street: “They could be happier.” Between now and March 1 a new Government must be formed. The new Parliament will meet on March 1 for the swearing-in of members and the election of a Speaker. The Government must be in a position to present its programme on March 6, when the King will open Parliament and make the Speech from the Throne. After that the Address-in-Reply is moved.

The first most important business of the new Parliament will be financial measures to enable the Government to carry on until, the Budget, which will be presented on April 6. Reconstruction, of Cabinet Reuter’s political correspondent says that one of Mr Attlee s Ihst tasks will be the reconstruction of the Government. Relatively few Ministers have been defeated but, whether Mr Attlee ruthlessly shuffles his team or leaves the set-up largely unchanged, the new Labour Government will be able to do no more than maintain a precarious caretaker existence. To avoid daily chances of defeat in Parliament it will have to apply an iron disciplinary code, both on Ministers and rankers ,to ensure constant attendance and protect itself against snap defeats in voting. Mr Attlee must discount two from his majority—the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Committee, who are nominated by the Government and cannot vote on a division in committee. ~ _ . . .. The correspondent adds that botn Labour and Conservatives are sick at heart at the election result, for which many bitterly blame the Liberals. Liberal headquarters issued the following statement to-day: “The Liberal Party carries on. Let there be no doubt about that. Now that party machines have crushed independence, the protection of the rights of minorities rests solely in the hands of Liberal members of Parliament. Liberals everywhere will back them to a man.”

Newspaper Inquest Sunday newspapers have opened a grand inquest on the British election. Their comment ranges from forecasts of fresh elections within two months to a proposal by the Labour newspaper the “People” that Labour and Conservatives should agree on a programme to see the country through “the coming .two years of economic crisis.” . Labour’s Left-Wing press spokesmen rejected all suggestions of a coalition ,and criticised some aspects of Mr Herbert Morrison’s handling of the election, campaign. Commentators forecast that Mr Churchill’s party would reject any

(N.Z.P.A.—Copyright.) ' ' LONDON, Feb. 25. After a meeting of the British Cabinet to-day it was announced that Mr Attlee had decided to carry on with his Administration. An official announcement from No. 10 Downing Street B said: “After consultation with his colleagues, the Prime Minister has decided that as the House of Commons will contain a majority of Labour members it is the duty of the present Administration to continue in office for the King’s Government must, be carried on.” ' With only four results to come, the state of parties was: Labour, 315; Conservative and Liberal allies, 294; Liberals, E; Irish Nationalists 2; Independent Liberals, l; Communists 0; others, 0. Mr Speaker’s seat is not included in these figures. It was officially stated that the Cabinet would be reconstn tuled, but that a coalition with other parties was out of the question. ' All Cabinet Ministers have placed their portfolios, in the Prime Minister’s'hands. It is expected that Mr Attlee will make a substantial Cabinet reshuffle and issue the names of his next Administration about i the middle of next week. The Cabinet’s decision was conveyed to the King before Mr Attlee left for Chequers, where he will spend the week-end. It is understood that His Majesty’s Speech for the opening of Parliament is now being drafted.

suggestion of an arrangement with Labour.

The “People” said of its proposal for an agreed two-party programme: “It is unthinkable in these grave times that either party should try to form a Government and middle along at the mercy of a snap vote that would plunge us all back into another general election and possibly another stalemate. Britain’s financial crisis is too desperate for party shilly-shallying. Strong government is vital, and there is only one way to get it. Mr Attlee and Ml* Churchill must get together and decide on a compromise programme that will get the country through the next two years of the economic blizzard. “There can, however, he no question of a coalition Government. Mr Attlee should carry out an agreed policy with a Labour-Government of Ministers of his own choosing.” “Mr Attlee will make a considerable number of changes in the Government/’ says the. political correspondent of the “Sunday Times.” Apart from thos§ dictated by the election casualties among Ministers, he will shuffle som§ existing office-holders. “It is expected that Mr Arieurin Bevan will lea’ve the Health Ministry, of which he has had more- than enough, and Mr John, Strachey will probably leave the Food Ministry. There is reason to believe that Mr Bevan may be offered a less spectacular post.” The political correspondent of the "Sunday Express” says that the most intriguing mystery of the Cabinet meeting to-day was the absence of the “rebellious” Mr Bevan.

“The indications are that the Cabinet’s decision to carry on and face Parliament may lead to a bitter internal quarrel in the Socialist Party,” he adds. “It is understood that Mr Bevan favours the Cabinet’s resignation in order to embarrass Tories by putting them into office in an ‘impossible’ House of Commons.” * Non-Controversial Budget. The political writer of the “Sydney Dispatch” says that the new Budget will have to be as non-controversial as possible, and that concessions will have to be made to the Opposition. He adds that there will probably be unofficial talks with the Opposition parties, both of which have pledged themselves to cut Government expenditure. “These talks may settle the date of the next election,” he says. “Labour wants to get the Budget through as quickly as possible so that the Opposition will not hold up the Finance Bill. If the Budget is reasonable the bill can be passed quickly. “An election could then be held in June, before the main summer holidays. It is believed that an election must come before October—the Iron and Steel Nationalisation Act is due to come into force on October ,1. “Diplomatic circles consider that Britain will not be able to assume a positive leadership in European affairs because of the election stalemate. Till another election there is likely to be a bipartisan foreign policy, with the Foreign Secretary (Mr Ernest Bevin) continuing to receive Mr Churchill’s support.”