BRITISH POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 January 1931, Page 9

BRITISH POLITICS

THE BALANCE OF POWER LIBERALS AND THE SOCIALISTS GOVERNMENT A FAILURE Rumour had it for a day or two that a pact had been arranged between Mr Lloyd George and Mr Ramsay MacDonald (wrote tho London correspondent of the Christchurch “Press” on 9th December). Oyr the afternoon on which the Liberal candidates were meeting at the National Liberal Club the Prime Minister announced that an. Electoral Reform Bill would he introduced in the House ol Commons before the adjournment for the Christmas recess. This at first was interpreted as indicating that the “conversations” between Mr MacDonald and Mr Lloyd George had resulted in something in the nature of a pact. When the latter snoke to the Liberal candidates later in the day, however, he denied there was any such pact. “We have never engaged in any pact to keep them in for a single month,” he

said. there is no pact; there is no. • deal. j | “In our judgment we ought to give 1 them another chance, but we shall have to judge from day to day, quite independently, what course we shall adopt with regard to anything that may arise in the House of Commons. “There is nothing at this moment that binds the hands of the Parliamentary Party, or ties them in any respect in any judgment which they may take. I IllT I nrtmi !\ Iln lp I oni J

J-he Labour Ministry/ said Mr J Lloyd George, “know exactly what , | course wo propose to take. They know ,we have the same common anxiety to save Freetrade, but they also know that ’! things may arise which would make it , quite impossible for the Liberal Party to support the Government and which would compel us to face the cpnsequonces however grave they may be.” i At another stage of his speech Mr i Lloyd George said: — “The Government is an acklowledged failure. They have disappointed their supporters, i cannot say they have disnrmmnfnrl nc l-mmincft

appointed us, because wo never expected verv much. It is not that they havo gone too far; it is that they are not going at all. “Let us consider the alternatives to the present situation. The first is the Liberal Party coming into power, and Labour is declining rapidly in popular favour —1 have never seen a Government decline so rapidly in popular confidence as the present Government. But there is no clear evidence of a reaction in favour of a Baldwin Government. “It is quite possible that Liberalism hnMinor ile num flvnnnnrKruT

showing quite clearly it has thought out its plans and knows exactly what it is for, many convince the electorate that , fhe timo has come again for trusting | the party which has pulled it out of ; many difficulties in 300 years’ time. A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT “There is another alternative very | largely discussed—a National Government, the best brains of all parties coming together to extricate the nation from its emergency. i , “It is no use discussing that, for tho simple reason that it has been ruled out by the Conservatives. They want it all to themselves. What Lord Birkenhead called ‘the second-class brains’ are rallying everywhere to their menaced jobs. They have declared ‘Ourselves first, the nation after.’ In a National Government, a large number of them would naturally , be left out. “The other alternative is co-operation without sharing in all'the responsibilities of government, but helping the Government with our experience, with such knowledge as wo possess, with such gifts of every kind that our party can command —and there is no party in tho State can command more. r Ihe Conservatives excuse themselves. They won’t co-operate on agriculture. I hey won t co-operate on unemployment—they are Gandhists—non cooperators.

| “There is only one alternative left, ! and you must face that if you turn the Government out a Tory protectionist Government—protection crude and ill thought out. ELECTORAL REFORM . "tt might be carried by a minority. W e must before the election secure that the decision shall at any rate be a majority decision. How?

j By a system of electoral reform that would secure representation in proportion to the numbers of each partv in the country. The question which we have to consider is that if wo cannot achieve proportional representation is it worth our while to get the second best, the alternative vote? I am not for it, but the thing to consider is, if that is all I can get is it worth while? “In my deliberate judgment I have come to the conclusion that with the vote you will secure the defeat of Protection unless there is a majority who vote in the country for it.

“In my opinion a reform which achieves those two things is worth securing. lam glad to see the Prime Minister has announced we shad see IJio Bill before Christinas.

LASSOED TO AMERICAN FINANCE V e have had two Baldwin Governments. The mischief they have done not merely remains but continues to spread. That terrible debt settlement —we are only now beginning to realise wnat it means.

We were lassooed fast to American finance. What is the result? We have been dragged over the course by the wdd horses of Wall street. “ihe Government is never saved bv swapping footlers. What is the other alternative. Give the Government another chancel. There is pressure behind them. That is all to the good. Ask Labour rank and file to help us bulators MlniSterS ® Ut of lheir poram - T, ‘‘£ a *' I , ia " I ?, nt , cap save the situation. State fc t lat Slou c l)e a real Council of Wo put forward our proposals (on unemployment) at the invitation of the Government. Wo must insist on their being considered. We made them at hen lequest, and some of us worked ' ely hard. Never a word of thanks.”