The Week in Parliament r Parliamentary ineptitude of the Opposition
rli continues and, if possible, increases. Take for instance a characteristic piece of folly which ocenfred on Wednesday evening of last week. Mr. -Mosley, 'One of the few Labour members Who were lucky in the ballet, had tabled it motion dealing in general terms with' the national finances, and a discussion • of considerable importance was anticipated. The Socialists allowed the House to be Counted- out and adjourned before this debate began. An episode of this' kind would have been unthinkable in any pre-War Parliament, kit; With the existing crew on the'Opposition benches, passed almost Without. comment.
It was presumably caused by the abysmal ignorance _ _ , 'on the part of the Socialists of the Most elementary rules of Procedure, although it 'has also been suggested that their internal dissensions are now so great that those who were Opposed to Mr. Mosley's views were deter- Mined 'net to allow him to sPeak out of sheer spite, 'Both explanations are equally discreditable to the -. -Labour Part. • _ • The truth is that With the declining exCeptione of -Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Snowden, ,and Mr. Thonias; the socialists are less competent than ever either to govern or to oppose. Nine-tenths of them will never make, Parliamentarians, and as soon as the electors begin to realize this fact their political star must inevitably, wane. The implications of such a development are too numerous and hypothetical to recount here; but they by no means involve a diminution of the fundamental strength of the present rank and file of the Labour movement in the politico-industrial sphere—rather the
reverse. .
The estimates presented by Sir L: WOrthirieon-EYana and Sir Samuel Hoare have been well received, and provoked a crop of interesting speeches from back benchers on both sides. Some apprehensions . was apparent with regard to the recent administrative changes and re-organization in the Army, and were well expressed by Sir Robert Hutchison.
Mr. Wheatley's contribution was adroitly negatived by General Charteris, and Mr. Duff Cooper's ministerial debut more than fulfilled the high expectations of his friends.
The debate on the Air Estimates was of even greater interest, although the standard imposed at the outset by Mr. Dalton, Captain Guest and Colonel Moore-BrabaZon could hardly be maintained throughout. The Govern- ment will have no difficulty in putting through the Franchise Bill which, in the general view, has been admirably devised.
The issue of principle will be raised from the Unionist benches, but it is doubtful whether a division will be challenged : and there is bound to be some Socialist objection on the minor point of plural voting. The decision of the Cabinet to leave pauper disenfranchisement coldly alone has brought unalloyed joy to their supporters, and _cast a corresponding gloom over their opponents, who had observed in this theme a grand opportunity for the unlimited and legitimate manufacture of party capital, and prayed that it might be vouchsafed to them.
Sir Park Goff obtained a second reading for his Shops (Hours of Closing) Bill last Friday, and vastly amused a benign House in the doing of it.
Thus 'the time is whiled away as the Budget day draws nearer.
WATCHMAN.
Previous page
