The Government's Narrow Escape If it is true that the
Prime Minister did not welcome Mr. Lloyd George's advice, we need net look further for an explanation of Mr. Lloyd George's decision to support Dr. Burgin's amendment to the Finance Bill in Wednesday's debate—the amendment exempting from Income Tax the money spent out of the reserves of industrial companies on new plant and machinery—even at the risk of defeating the Government. Mr. Lloyd George spoke with something resembling reckless indig- nation. He did not carry all the responsible members of his Party with him and must have known it as he spoke. He was determined to exhibit a picture of the Government as inept, unimaginative and cowardly in dealing with unemployment. His speech was really on unemployment, though it was nominally on finance. Mr. Snowden was haughty, frigid, unforthcoming. Evidently the Labour- Liberal alliance is very uneasy. In the division the Government had a majority of only three. Sir Herbert Samuel and other prominent Liberals abstained and a few voted with the Government.
Previous page
