7 NOVEMBER 1931, Page 1

News of the Week M R. LLOYD GEORGE, convalescent and combative

at Churt, has written to what he pointedly describes as " a section only of the Liberal members elected to this Parliament "—the Samuel group— declining any office to which the group might have elected him, and declaring that he looks forward, on his return to the House of Commons in the New Year, to co-operating with all those who have at heart the advancement of those ideas to which so many millions rallied in 1929. In other words, Mr. Lloyd George, seated on an Opposition Front Bench where he will to all appearance reign without a rival, will be prepared to lead any who will follow him, and it will be surprising if he does not find himself regularly in the same lobby with the fifty Labour Men ranged to-day behind Mr. Lansbury, Out of that association interesting possibilities may arise, par- ticularly as the family quartette of which Mr. Lloyd George is the head will no doubt be reinforced from time to time on the Opposition benches by individual Liberals seeking a fuller freedom than their present partnership with their National Government allies permits.