The choice of Major Attlee to succeed . Mr. Lansbury as
leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party till the end of the session is obvious and non-committal. Major Attlee was already deputy-leader, and during the long period of convalescence after Mr. Lansbury's accident last year he discharged all the duties of leadership with credit, He is competent but not forceful, and certainly not of the calibre to face the Treasury bench on anything like equal terms. The only man capable of that is Mr: Herbert Morrison, and Mr. Morrison is not in the House. But there is no reason why he should not be three weeks hence if he chooses. A seat held by Labour is vacant at North Hammersmith, and Mr. Morrison; as 'Secretary of the London Labour Party, could have it for the asking. Whether he is prepared to give up his leadership of the majority party in the L.C.C. is another matter. That may depend on what his ultimate political ambitions are. But there is no man whose return to the House of Commons would make half the difference to his party.
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