LABOUR PARTY WALKS OUT
STARTLING INCIDENT IN COMMONS TRADES UNION BILL GUILLOTINED AN extraordinary incident occurred in the House of Commons when the guillotine was used to wind up the debate on the Trades Union Bill which the Labour Party had been fighting inch by inch. The whole Front Bench of the Labour Party rose and walked out of the Chamber. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright
Reed. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Monday. The Right Hon. Stanley Baldwin, in the House of Commons, in moving the guillotine resolution on the Trades Union Bill, said that if the present rate of progress were maintained and the House sat continuously, and no other business were transacted, they might hope to pass clause one by the beginning of August. The Government’s action was in accord with precedent.
Mr. J. R. Clynes, who was greeted with a storm of Labour cheers, said that Mr. Baldwin’s speech was one of unexampled audacity, which could not be beaten. The Government was going even further than he had thought likely in the destruction of constitutional practices. “Whatever the class we are drawn from, we are at least his Majesty’s Opposition, and claim for that Opposi-
tion the Parliamentary traditional rights which until recently had been observed.” Mr. Clynes added heatedly: “It is a grave abuse of the power of the Government’s numbers. It will reduce Parliamentary business to a mockery. We shall not be a party to it. We shall not sit here to participate in a Parliamentary farce.”
Mr. Clynes resumed his seat and instantly the entire Labour front bench rose and, amid hubbub, walked out. When the Labourites were out of the chamber Mr. Lloyd George said that he deeply regretted the scene. He had witnessed many scenes in the House of Commons, but they seldom did any good. He hoped that sooner or later they would find a less barbarous way of dealing with the situation than the guillotine. After this the motion was carried by 259 to 14, and the House rose.— A. and N.Z.
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Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 46, 17 May 1927, Page 9
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338LABOUR PARTY WALKS OUT Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 46, 17 May 1927, Page 9
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