Peppery little (5 ft. 7½ in.) Emanuel Shinwell, Labor M.P., always had a diagnosis, if not a cure, for Britain’s ills. “Manny” was always anticapitalist, anti-imperialist and against Britain’s conservative governments, be they Labor, Tory or coalition. He was a leading Leftist in World War I, a vitriolic antidote to Labor’s “traitorous” moderates in the years between the wars. He did not change his tune after World War II hit England: Churchill’s coalition Government was “Winston’s beauty chorus.”
Last week Manny did an abrupt about-face, caused the Tory Daily Mail to headline: A LABOR PLEA FOR EMPIRE—Shinwell, Cheered by Tories, Urges an Independent Britain. Manny had spoken in Parliament on Britain’s future. He did not want Russia dominant in Europe: “It may . . . produce another war.” He did want a strong Empire: “The strength of Great Britain . . . lies in an even better understanding with . . . the Commonwealth.” He did not want to abolish capitalism: “It is only on the basis of capitalism accepting modifications in its structure . . . that it is possible for this country to survive.”*
*For other news of Socialist Shinwell, see PEOPLE section, in article “Dressers”.
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