Labour in Mayfair
The new National Executive Committee of the Labour Party will retire into Brown's Hotel on Saturday morning and hope to emerge on Sunday evening with the makings of a policy and an electoral programme. The policy is to unite the party, the programme to bring it back to power; no mean task, since neither should contradict the other. For months past the constituencies haVe brooded over foreign policy, food and agriculture, public ownership of industry, and private industry in the mixed economy. The broodings are condensed and prepared for the Executive. Morecambe told the Executive to list " the key industries to be taken into public ownership." Margate told the T.U.C.'s General Council to " formulate proposals for the extension of social ownership into other industries and services." The trilogy of policy statements on foreign, colonial and home affairs (now com- fortably endorsed) have marked out the problems and the main signposts. But the signposts were fogged by tactful ambiguities, and everyone knows the problems. The party cannot manage without a policy, but the only one seemingly to hand is " Back to the old faith ! "—more and more nationalisation. But personalities may affect policy. Mr. Bevan will be at Brown's and Mr. Morrison will be absent. There is, however, a healthy scepticism in the movement, distrusting the first blithe rationalism, fearing its present perversions. We must hope, and can expect, that its voice will be heard. But it may have to be muted.
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