The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

92 THE HOUSE OF INDUSTRY

The lessons this episode taught were valuable to many of us. Notably this: You cannot build up a party round individuals, however eminent. A political party must be motived by some central principle or project which must be the magnet to draw men and women to it.

Now, it would be affectation, or worse, to declare to-day that the Labour Party is inspired by any recognisable central principle. Undoubtedly, it has a tendency, but no specific direction. Broadly, its réle is to maintain and strengthen the rights and the liberties of the working class. In pursuit of this, it has gradually accumulated a body of doctrine, expressed by many resolutions at its Annual Conference. But it is painfully obvious that it is not easy to define and apply that doctrine to practical politics. Yet, if we examine recent divisions in the party, we find that no doctrinal differences emerge. There is no spiritual schism. What has happened is that certain Members of Parliament, claiming to be loyal members of the Labour Party—a claim not seriously disputed—feel that the pace is too slow, or that different action is desirable. On scrutinising these differences of interpretation more closely, one fact stands out clearly: the trouble is entirely economic.

If, then, these economic problems were removed to another sphere—the House of Industry—the Labour Party would present a united front. On all distinctively political issues there is unity. What are these issues? Foreign policy, Dominion