Labour's New Campaign
The Labour Party celebrated New Year's Day with an announce- ment of its plans for consolidating its victory at the General Election. It wishes to increase still further the numbers of " young and enthusiastic men and women" who are " streaming into the 2,500 local Labour parties," and they propose to do this by a great educational drive which will give all its members " an understanding of the ever more complex processes of modern national and inter- national society." Day and week-end schools will train discussion group leaders ; discussion groups will be multiplied until there is one for every local Labour Party; factual pamphlets are to be issued as material for discussion ; by these means the Labour Party hopes to continue " the important educational work done during the war in the fighting services, especially by A.B.C.A. in the Army, and in Civil Defence." There is no doubt that such a campaign, which will serve a valuable social purpose, will recruit large numbers of new, and what is more, young and intelligent adherents. It is pertinent to ask how the Conservative Party is going to meet this challenge. Is it going to be content merely to criticise and condemn its opponents, sometimes en very inconsistent grounds, and to wait until their own mistakes find them out, or is it capable of making an equally vigorous and intelligent appeal to the electorate, in which the Conservative case will be presented attractively, positively and consistently. So far there is little sight of it. The Labour Party speaks of " the strenuous political struggles which lie ahead." Unless the Conservative Party goes into training for them, it will go into battle sadly ill-equipped and ill-trained.
Previous page
