Labour's Sense Of Anxiety Not Allayed

Chronicle (Levin), 14 June 1949, Page 5

Labour's Sense Of Anxiety Not Allayed

Tteaeived Tuedav 7 p.m. LOXDOX, .1 une 13. Diseussing the Laliour Party'st annu al conferenee, The Heonomist says that, despite the sunny eomplaeeney of the Prime Minister's speeeh and the imperturliability of Sir Stafford (hipps, there ! was a sense of anxiety whieh was dispelled by the Minislers ' speeehes. ' ' There is a eertain malaise within tlie Party itself , " says rl'he Economisr. ''There is a feeliug of genuine alarri I about Labour's political position and I there is an awareness that sometliing is amiss with the eeonomie progress or the couiitrv. The stress within the Party is not acute at present but it contains the seeds of trouble in the long run. ' ' The Eeonomist eonsiders the trouble is ehieflv duc to a divergenee between ' trades unionists and inoderates on the oue hand, who are eoncerned chiefiy with the material benetits of social ism, and the more radieal elements wIlZ are eoncerned with less definable ob.jeetives such as the advaneenient of so- ( cial democraey aiid the aliolition of pri- : vilege. 1 "'it is as bitter for nianv socialists to recognise that Labour is'in the process of becoming just another political Party, as it is for Mr Churchill to recognise that the old British Ltnpire has passed a^ray, ' ' it concluded.- A curious change the events have brought about, is to mahe the older men in favour of a policy that will fit the tinies, and the younger people nostalgie for the earher days of the Labour moveinent."