The papers on Monday summarized a letter which Mr. Lansbury
has written to the branches of the Independent Labour Party demanding their support for an Anti-Govern- ment policy in the interests of woman suffrage. He points out that if the Labour Party in the House were induced to demand woman suffrage immediately the Government would be compelled to grant it, because the Irish Nationalists would vote for woman suffrage rather than have the Govern- ment turned out and the Home Rule Bill lost. This is very ingenious tactics. Logically it is perfect. It cer- tainly looks as though it might be done. Unfortunately for his clients, Mr. Lansbury does not appreciate the simple fact that there is no party which is prepared to make any sacrifice for woman suffrage. There is no party that cares enough about it. We predict confidently therefore that even if the branches of the Independent Labour Party petition Mr. Ramsay MacDonald (which they will not do) till they are blue in the face, the Labour members in the House will not attempt to turn out the Government over woman suffrage. When they have opportunities to extort promises from the Government they will use them for other purposes.
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