MUCH AT VARIANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1943, Page 4

MUCH AT VARIANCE

COMMUNISTS & LABOUR PARTY

CONFERENCE SPEECHES.

MISTRUST OF PRETENDED AFFECTION.

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 16. The issue of Communist affiliation came before the Labour Party conference firstly on the motion by the Manchester Labour Party recommending rejection of the Communist Party’s application and secondly on a motion supporting the affiliation, provided the Communist Party agreed to accept and abide by the constitution of the Labour Party. The mine workers gave a 600.000 block vote in favour of affiliation. Mr G. Ridley, M.P., who is a member of the executive, said the Communist Party’s attitude throughout the war showed' that it was entirely unreliable and unrealistic. Its attitude was entirely at variance with that of the Labour Party. The Communist Party would be a snake coiling itself v.’ith pretended affection around the body of its victim and sucking its lifeblood. Mr Herbert Morrison urged the conference not to confuse the issue with Britain’s relations with Russia. The Labour Party had consistently maintained the desirability of healthy and friendly British-Russian relations, and would continue to do so. He urged the Communist Party to make a supreme sacrifice for the unity of the British Labour movement by dissolving its organisation, after which members could take their chance on their own merits of becoming individual members of the Labour Party. Mr Morrison advised i delegates strongly, without heat, hate | or rancour, to reject the application. In a statement made after the rejection of the application, Mr H. Pollitt. on behalf of the Communist Party, said: “At a moment when the supreme battles of the war are opening and Labour unity is vital for the people’s future, we regret the Labour Party’s decision. We are ready to co-operate with the Labour Party and affiliated organisations in any local or national campaigns, and to meet the Labour Party executive and discuss co-operation which is in the interests of the whole movement. The Communist Party will continue to work for national and international unity, particularly for the unity of the working class movement.”