BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1930, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

SIR J. SIMON’S ACT (UN

(United Press Association-—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, November 5,

Sir John Simon, the Federal M.P. authorities the publication of a letter that he sent to Mr Lloyd George on Otober 26th, the. principal points of which are:—Labour has been in office for seventeen months and has proved a failure in practically all departments. Your well-meant efforts to help it to do something effective have produced no result, except, to expose Liberals to the reproach that they are keep ng friendly contacts with the Socialists in an effort to saVe their own skins. If therefore, any question arises regarding confidence in the Government, 1 shall feel obliged to vote in any way to show that I, at any rate, have no confidence in it. Having thought the .situation carefully, therefore, .1 hold that a plain course is the best, and that tactics must take care of themselves .

Everywhere it is agreed that Sir John Simon’s letter is an event of political importance, damaging the prestige of both Mr Lloyd George and the Government. its effect will possibly be even greater in the country than in Parliamentary circles. The position at present is that forty-eight members of the House of Commons are anxious to keep Labour in office for reasons connected with the Party’s finance, in the hope of wringing from Labour an electoral measure favouring the Liberal Party’s prospects in constituencies.

'the remaining ten Liberals in the Commons, including Sir John Simon and Sir Robert Hutchison, are not disposed to afford the Labourites the least support but are prepared to act regardless of the consequences. Sir John Simon’s Inter may be the cause of further defections, thus rendering the position oi the Government in critical divisons most precarious especially if the “Leftists” are restless. But politicians express the opinion that, by avoiding ultra contentious measures, and hiding behind the Imperial and the Indian Conferences, the Government may bang on till the spring. The Labour headquarters are appealing for a special election fund. They state that though an immediate election is not anticipated, they must in no wise neglet precautions against a sudden crisis. The Liberals are also initiating a new fund.