The Communists' Allies If the three tailors of Tooley Street
had been nine they would have outnumbered by three the representation of the newly-formed Left Wing United Front in the House of Commons. Sir Stafford Cripps is there, unsupported, to represent the Socialist League ; Mr. Gallacher there, unsupported, to represent the Communists ; and Mr. James Maxton, with no fewer than three followers, to represent the Independent Labour Party. This, combined with the fact that the Socialist League's decision to join the United Front was only taken by a majority of about three to two (the actual vote was 56 to 38) ; that this will probably mean a split in the League ; that the actual membership of the three constituent bodies appears to be not much over 10,000.; and that the Socialist League and the I.L.P. have both been steadily declining in influence in the last three or four years is the measure of the real significance of the new move. The new body is stronger in personnel than in numbers, but if the leaders in question have not been able to do more than they have done for the consti- tuent bodies there is no particular reason why they should succeed better on a common platform.
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