ELECTION FORECAST

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1947, Page 5

ELECTION FORECAST

(Speedal Correspondent.)

Crisis May Defeat British Labour

some mild interest roused /

Received Fridav, 7 p.m. LOAJJOX, Alar. 13. Some mild interest is aroused u. .olitical circles by a statenu-iu ny Ati S. Morrison who, addressing tli onstitutional Club, suggesieii tliu. onsdrvatives should be ready in tn. .atumn tor a general elecnon. li^ .dded that the vaovernment had entire y tailed to plan their own Parliament .ry programme. Commenting later on his remarks Mr uorrison is report'ed to have said tha. ie had a hunch something may liappen n the autumn. He felt that the rusi. A bills, "guillotine" procedure ii. ommittee, and Mr. Herbert ^Morrison ^esire not to have an autumn sessiou mrtended a possible Labour climb iown. "1 have no lnside information, " ln .dded, "but Labour may feel the risiu^ ide of indignation. lt is time w. ouservatives did a bit of gingerin,. up. ' ' Another who forecasts a possiln., ,eueral election in tlie autumn is XI r lend^rson Stewart. Commenting on this the Olasgo'v. .erald said such a forecast would prob ,oly seem at fii'st sight rather fa etched. Tliere irs no obvious rensoi, vhy the Labour Cabinet should not ex >ect to hold office for a full term oi ive vears but there are consideration rhich may impel tllem to change then ninds. M r. Attlee, who is not snper titious, niust know that the third ses ion is a danegrous oue and luck ha ertainlv turned against hiiu "sinc \fr. Herbert Morrison 's illness expose-s \fr. Greenwood 's inadequacy to takc iis place". The Herald adds that Mr diinwell is now a liabiiitv and tlu ailure of the GoVernment of planuer o foresee the contingency of the har vintcr, exposed Cabinet to ridicule an he public to hardship and sulfering. The Glasgow llcrald also coinuients "It is not i nconcei vabkq tliat an al •nosphere may be created in whieh tln Government will hope that the Eonl will reject the transport and other niea siires and may feel that a genera election on Ihe old slogan of pecr versus tlle people, is a lesser pvil tha:. certain defeat tliree vears hence. '' A Comnioner, Mr. .J. Brown, writin in the Evening" Staiulard, says 011 u> day's facts there cannot l>e a genera election this year. O11 the facts as the .mav be six or nine months hence, there may be a general election this year an ' it might easily resr.lt in a change >

govermuent, he adds. It depends o: how the great crisis in productioi. whicli the Gommons discussed, i handled and how quieklv it is handled It' it is handled well and quieklv, tlre:. there will he no general election thi year. If handled badly and slowly the. a gemeral election is perfectlv possible "If the Government deeides 011 ap propriate action, if the.v are boldi. supported by the T.L.C., if the T.l'.t is backed by individual unions, an if the niasses respond to the call mad : upon them, then we shall get the in creased production necessary," h writes. "And slowly but suvely w> shall come tli rough our crisis. But C the Government, for fear of the T.L.C. backpedals 011 wliat ought to be done if the T.17.C'. for fear of the individua unions is tempted to evade the issueinvolved, if the individual trade union put sectional interest before the eom mon interest, then necessary action will be delayed and stultilied. In suc-. circumstances the gulf between tlu politioal setup and reality would be come too great to continue. "