THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT
BY " NEW MEMBER."
THE debates on the Supplementary Estimates have gone gloomily on, and despite some valiant efforts at obstruction on the part of the Clyde men the subject- matter has generally been too dull to arouse interest or to secure an attendance of more than about forty members. The casual observer, would conclude that the House had settled down to a lengthy period of solid, if unobtrusive, administrative work ; and that all parties, now definitely aligned and convinced of the impossibility of sensational changes for several years to come, were united in a common desire not to allow small matters to interfere with the legislation which is necessary or desir- able for the general welfare. The casual observer would unfortunately be wrong. It is to be feared that the present phase of benignant tranquillity through which the House is passing is the lull before the storm.
Behind the scenes the aspect is a very different one. It is of the grim order. There is too much " lobbying "- most of it ill-advised—and there are too many rumours, most of them wrong or at least premature. These are signs that all is not well, and there can be no doubt that storms arc in the air. I am not at all sure that the Labour Party storm has not broken already. What is the trouble there ? Dissatisfaction with the leadership is the easiest explanation, but it is not altogether a satisfactory one, because it does not apply to those members of the Labour Party who disapprove of all leadership. The members of the Parliamentary Labour Party held a meeting on Tuesday morning, and the one certain thing about it is that it was a very unhappy affair. The Clydeside outburst, which I mentioned last week, was made the subject of some direct words of reproof by Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Thomas during the week-end, and this was fiercely resented. Apparently the feeling against the leaders generally and Mr. MacDonald in particular has not died down, and the revolt of the Labour back-benchers against any sort of discipline increases. The outcome none can tell. It is easy to see that the bitter strife now going on is not merely a question of personalities, but that the whole issue of the future direction of the Labour movement has been raised.
That issue was bound to come, and it is better to have it thrashed out while the party is in opposition, although we must all regret the weakness which is inevitable in a divided Opposition. It is probable that the constitu- tionalists—or supporters of the evolutionary method-- will triumph over the left wing, but it is by no means tertain that the whole Labour movement as it now exists will not go into the melting-pot during the process. The Struggle is necessarily conducted in the twilight, and the outsider sees the shadowy figures of Mr. MacDonald, 61r Thomas, Mr. Clynes, Mr. Wheatley and Mr. Maxton emerge only to disappear. Can such as these continue long in association ? Surely only in the event of some crass piece of folly on the part of the Unionist Party.
Yet some such folly a certain number of Unionists are contemplating—at this of all moments. They would amend without further ado the law relating to the political levy of the Trade Unions. It is comforting, however, to know that the indications are that the Bill will be rejected by the House—and therefore by Unionist votes. Thus the Liberal Party is the only party which appears to be happy. At present every member of it regards himself as a leader, and there is little difficulty in this arrangement, for the Party is in the enviable position of having no one to lead.
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