The Labciur Programme
The issue of an electioneering circular by Mr. Morgan Philips, secretary of the Labour Party, is a sign of the intensified campaign in the constituencies in preparation for the General Election. Since the character of that campaign will be determined to a great extent by the programme of the party and the attitude of the leaders, it is reassuring to read Mr. Attlee's speech delivered at Bradford on Sunday and recognise that it is possible to declare a party pro- gramme with vigour without either bitterness or over-statement. Mr. ' Attlee, like the party he leads, is completely loyal to the general war policy of the present Government, and commends to the country .those approaches to international agreement to which it has been a party. For the future he makes no extravagant promises and holds out no immediate Utopia, and insists on the importance of accepting duties as well as rights, but maintains that the ideals which have so far only been outlined in the White Papers cannot 'be attained with- cut the conscious adoption of plans, and without controls which, however irksome, are necessary to the operation of plans. Though a Socialist, he does not demand that everything should be nationalised, but stresses his view that plans of reconstruction require that trans- port, fuel, light and power should be public services. Policy, in fact, is to be shaped by the paramount desire to secure a higher standard of life for all. The differences between the parties at the election will not be easily summed up in catch-words. Some Con- servatives will demand freedom from controls. Labour men, joined by some Conservatives, will demand controls for the sake of freedom. The contests are likely to assume different forms in different con- stituencies. In such circumstances the choice of the voter will be influenced, far more than in most elections, by the personality of the. candidate. Some party-lines are wearing very thin.
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