BRITISH POLITICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17978, 25 March 1930, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS.

A CHANGED SITUATION. LIBERAL-LABOUR ENTENTE. TERMS OF THE COMPACT. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. —Copyright. LONDON, March 23. The first steps toward an entente between the Labour and Liberal parties arc now believed by the newspapers to have been taken. The cessation of the Liberals’ opposition to the Government's Coal Mines Bills is pointed to as an indication of a measure of co-operation between the two parties. The Observer says the Liberals’ acLion suggests an arrangement for a period on certain terms. If this he so it must change the entire face of British politics and there will he no general election in May as has been predicted. Instead, the life of the present Government will he extended, by consent of the Liberals, for at least two years. The terms of the Liberals are an open secret, says the Observer. One is that before another dissolution of Parliament electoral reform must he carried so as to give the Liberals some fair chance of representation. Electoral reform, in all probability, could not he carried until late next year. The paper says the prolongation of the Government’s tenure of office will mean '“that the Prime Minister, Mr MacDonald, will preside over the forthcoming Imperial Conference and over file Indian Conference next autumn. There will be a vital gain to public interests in that national polilics will not. he thrown into the melting pot immediately after the publication of the report of the Simon Commission. The Sunday Times also says that an understanding nas been reached by which, if the Government is able to carry Hie Coal Mines Bill, it will lend a sympathetic ear to the Liberals’ grievances in regard to the electoral system. It is pointed out that the passage of the Coal Mines Bill the contentious part of the Government’s programme for this session should he practically out of the way. The Prime Minister has addressed a letter to Hie Labour Party In his constituency (the Seaham division of Durham), in which he says : —• “ We shall steadily proceed with our big programme unless our opponents make it impossible for us to do what we think best for the nation. Once they do that a situation will arise which no Government could tolerate. “ That position would not he for the good of the country, which in this trying lime, when there is a serious slump in the world’s trade, does not want to he distracted by a general election. “ I still consider that this Parliament should last two years more, but .unfortunately our numerical strength in the House of Commons deprives us of the final word.”