Speaking at an N.C.L.C. meeting in Belfast last month, Noel Browne, leader of the National Progressive Democrats, forecast a merger of the two main parties in ire, the Fianna Fail and the Fine Gael. He said that thore was little difference betwosn them now, especially as the 'old guard' of the Civil War had departed from the scene. Io contended that there must be a corresponding advance of the radical forces to moot this challonge in the years that lay ahead. ---
It was now possible to ‘build a radical socialist organisation in the predominantly Catholic South and for that reason thoy wanted tho Protestants of the North to join in and play thoir part as a liberalising factor. "Irishmen are boginning to leave their roligon at the church door," hoe declared. ‘This was because the church was beginning to learn to go with the times.
There had been a remarkablo chango in outlook in the itepublic in the last 10 years and this had been proved by the 25,000 increase in Labour Party votes. This was tho first time that the Irish Labour Party had gone out strongly on a wolfare state programme and advocacy of public ownership. The most significant thing about the recent goneral eloction in the Republic was the fact that there had beon a big upsurge of support for Labour in the rural areas, while the party had lost seats in Dublin. It was hard to say why this was so in an industrial area, but one thing was certain, Dr. Browne asserted, amd that was the fact that gorrymandering was responsible for the loss of Imnis Larkin's seat in Dublin. The animositiocs of the Civil War had almost dicd away and people were at last beginning to consider the social and economic issues on their merits.
Dr. Browne said that his interprotation of the total eclipse of the” abstentionist Sinn Foin party did not corrospond with the view in the North that this happened because people were disgusted with the direct action policy of the groupe Ile believed that Sinn Fein had received its votes in tho previous olection as a protest against the two big partios, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Ie thought that the shift to Labour in the recent general election was another form ° this protest against tho big partics.
When asked whether he and Jack lcQuillan, thse othor N.P.D. representative, would eventually join tho Labour Party, Dr. Browne said that thoy made no sccrot of thoir belief in socialism; but they worse against ontering tho Common liarket - which the Labour Party supported - becauso it would entail membuyship of NATO.