ANOTHER POLL FORESEEN

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

ANOTHER POLL FORESEEN

“MOST SENSIBLE COURSE” NEWSPAPER COMMENT (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) LONDON, Fell. 2<i. “The Times” yesterday said that an election “not many months from now” seemed inevitable. It said there could be no more nationalisation while the parties sought together what they must do until they tried again at the polls.

“The Times” said: “Labour leaders would do well to seize this chance of asking how much their dogged adherence to irrelevant doctrine has been a factor in their own near downfall.” The “Manchester Guardian” said that the most sensible course was for the Government to continue, then put through an agreed Budget, and after a decent interval go to the country again.

The Labour ‘“Daily Herald” said the Government had been subjected to a campaign of detraction. Every difficulty inherited from the war had been exploited in the hope of persuading the people that the Government was mainly to blame. Ministers had been held up to ridicule in a degree far exceeding normal limits. The “Daily Express” said that Mr Attlee should tender the resignation of the Government.

The “Observer” said in a leading article to-day that Mr Attlee by deciding to carry on has taken the right immediate course, as the alternatives were to appeal again at once to the country or approach other party leaders with a view to a coalition. t Same Result One objection to a new election immediately was that it might easily produce the same result. Even if the Liberal* candidates were few there was no certainty that either of the two main parties would benefit decisively. While admitting that a coalition would be welcomed by many people, the “Observer” believed it to be a mistake at present as Britain was not in immediate peril. “It need not be impossible for Mr Attlee to carry on,” the article continued. “He can count on excellent party discipline, and a Prime Minister is not bound to resign if defeated in the House unless he has challenged a vote of confidence. There is no reason why the Labour Government should not get necessary measures through, including the Budget.” The “Evening Standard” commented that it was clear that the country as a whole was opposed to socialism. It was opposed to nationalisation and to the belief that only socialists understood how to maintain full employment. It was not only necessary, but also inevitable, that In "these circumstances there must be an early election.

The “Star” said that Labour Ministers and their back-bench followers were against any compromise on policy, which'meant that an early election was inevitable.

The ‘Conservative “Daily Mail” said: “Labour is back in office, but not in power. The people have rejected socialism through the combined Con-servative-Liberal poll. This is government on a razor’s edge. The “Financial Times” said the Labour Party Avould have a majority ip the House of Commons, but it would be a Labour Government whose power of action " would be “severely and mercifully limited.”

Vote of Censure

The Liberal “News Chronicle,” in saying that the Government’s majority was too small to be workable, added: “The close result makes it imperative that the three parties should get together and agree on what action is necessary in the nation’s interests.” The, newspaper; said it was difficult to see how a fresh appeal to the country would help. The Conservative “Daily Telegraph” said that Labour’s reduced majority was tantamount to a vote of censure which Labour could not ignore. The independent “Daily Mirror” commented: “A situation which creates awkwardness and uncertainty about the direction of the country’s affairs is had.”

Tiie “Sunday Times” in a leading article said that the verdict of the electors by a majority of 2,500,000 of the popular vote was flatly aga’inst socialism. Communists and extreme socialists were eliminated from Parliament not only through the power of the machine vote for party orthodoxy, but also through the plain distaste of the British elector for violent changes and foreign dogmas. must never forget that had no party mandate. No fewer than 68 of his supporters in the House of Commons were elected on a minority poll. The “Sunday Express” said that, if Mr Attlee remained in office until April it was probable that he would choose the Budget as ah issue on which to take the party to the country.

“Two major difficulties which confront the Prime Minister are to produce a Budget which by reducing taxation may sway middle-class voters back to socialism, and to secure for such a project tire support of all members of his Cabinet,” the newspaper said.' “Cabinet Ministers have reacted to their crushing defeat In a savage fashion. Each blames the other. Mr Ernest Bevin gets most of the blame, as his comrades in the Cabinet believe that the futility and folly of his foreign policy alienated the country.”