The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the "West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1931. HOME POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the "West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1931. HOME POLITICS.

Tub cable news hints more pointedly than ever, at the possibility of an early British Election. The Labour Administration at Home under Prime .Minister .MacDonald has been possible only because of the. support from the Liberal following of Mr Lloyd George, who preferred to maintain Labour in power, in preference to creating a diversion which might result in the Conservatives regaining the Treasury Benches. But Mr MacDonald has in his mind doses ol socialism which he has been administering. In point of fact, the Liberals have been keeping a burke on the Government legislation, and this state of affairs has grown irksome to the extremists, who realise they are dependent on the Liberals for office. Sir Oswald Mosley has been prominent in his revolt against the existing state of affairs, and he lias dom- much, or rather attempted it. to change the situation. At the moment there is the feeling in Labour circles that the unwritten pact with the Liberals should be ignored and Labour should set about the presentation of its real policy aiming at '"coni-

plate socialism in our time.” Just now there are two measures in mind which have gained special prominence. Mr 1.10.vd George has been advocating an Electoral Reform Bill under which the Liberals have the chance for a

better political fate than was their position at the last. General Election. This measure is on the stocks, hut there is with it a Trades Dispute Bill, an essentially Labour measure, and it was thought at first that the two hills were prepared by arrangement. But the Labour measure attacks individual liberty to such an extent, that when its provisions were ascertained, many prominent Liberals, including Sir John Simon, announced they could not support it consistently. Now the Liberal party has decided not to vote on the second reading, hut the Bill has just passed its second reading. The- fate of the Electoral Reform Bill the fate of the Electoral Reform Bill 'is in doubt also, and the situation grows interesting. It is declared that neither Labour or Liberal desire a general election at this juncture, both being unready in the matter of finance. On the other hand, if the extremists led by Sir Oswald Mosley press the position, and make Mr MacDonald’s position us leader untenable- with the party as at present, he may ride for n fall in respect to the measure. That position would not be very acceptable to the Liberals who honed for electoral reform before the next poll, and it: would appear the most favoured party by an appeal to the country at this juncture, would be the Conservatives. The possibilities of Mr Baldwin returning to office, therefore, take shape, lint even this possibility may lead to Labour at Home patching its internal difficulties, and accepting the nrcs-mit position for an extended term of office and await a more favourable set of circumstances for an appeal to the nation at the polls.