Orders of the Day — Newspapers (Government Information).

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 27 November 1922.

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Photo of Mr Bonar Law Mr Bonar Law , Glasgow Central

I have certainly nothing to complain of in the tone of either of the speeches to which we have just listened. As regards the hon. and gallant Gentleman for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) he, I think truly, explained that his aim was to do his best to enable the Government to do right. That has always been the business of every Opposition, and I think that on this particular occasion we must congratulate him on another aim and of having carried it out successfully. The other aim to which I have referred is not only a desire to teach us to do right, but a desire to teach hon. Gentlemen opposite how they could best utilise their strength in order also to teach us to do right. I have no fault to find with that. To come to the charge made against us, really, I have considerable difficulty in finding out exactly what is the crime of which we are accused. The hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull surprised me very much. He paid a compliment to the Government of my right hon. Friend the late Prime Minister which I listened to with extreme pleasure, and which I am not going to contradict. The compliment was that the late Government never selected newspapers, that they gave all their information to every newspaper, that there was no attempt whatever to get particular newspapers to advocate the views of the Government. I daresay that that will be very gratifying to the late Prime Minister, but it is very different from what I have heard from the hon. and gallant Member himself, and from what, if he thinks it worth while, we shell hear from him again if the occasion arises.

The hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) accused me, in effect, though I do not think that he accused me intentionally, of branding these unemployed people as criminals. I am going to tell the House exactly what I did. I received a letter from this body asking me to receive them. That was at the very beginning of the Election. I thought it utterly useless and I declined. I got a second letter the other day. I took it up, and I had before me the verbatim report of the speeches made by speakers who were presumably selected, because they were leaders of this movement, and I had, in addition, the previous records—there is no mystery about them—not of this body as a whole, but mainly of people who have made these speeches, and on reading these speeches I came to the conclusion not only that I would not receive a deputation, but that there was a real danger of serious rioting. It is easy to be wise after the event. I had in my mind the recollection of a very serious riot caused by the unemployed near Downing Street. I thought it was quite possible that something of the same sort would occur again.