7 MARCH 1931, Page 2

The Confusion of the Parties The political confusion becomes worse.

Nobody knows what programme the Government will produce in order to replace the Bills which are being slaughtered one after another, though it is true that the Alternative Vote clause in the Electoral Reform Bill was carried in the House of Commons on Wednesday. They might well be frightened by the insubordination of their friends but they see a similar insubordination in both of the other Parties. Probably they do not greatly fear Sir Oswald Mosley, whose " New Party " has attracted very few Labour members, but it might be a different matter at a General Election, if Sir Oswald Mosley was strong enough to split the Labour vote in several constituencies. He talks of putting forward 400 candidates. Then, there is a strong anti-Snowden move- ment in the Labour Party by those who are out for increasing State expenditure whatever the- financial cit., eumstances of the nation may be.