Cousins in Line for Transport Ministry?
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SPECULATORS on both sides of the political fence at Westminster have been toying with the idea a what a Wilsonian Cabinet would look like, and much credence has been given to the supposition that Mr. Frank Cousins might enter Parliament and be given a job.
So far the supposition has been that he would like to be a Socialist Minister of Labour, but I hear that, at one time, discussions between him and Mr. Gaitskell revealed that the general secretary of the T.G.W.U. was much more interested in the Ministry of Transport.
Mr. George Strauss, popularly under stood to be one of the richest men at Westminster, is the present " shadow " incumbent. His long record of office in Socialist administrations since 1929 includes a term as junior at .the Transport Ministry, and as Minister of Supply from 1947 to 1951. His considerable experience of transport matters was strengthened by his leadership of Labour's campaigns on the Transport and Road Traffic Bill last year.
The advent of Mr. Cousins to the Labour front bench would cause a considerable stir; if he ousted Mr. Strauss (a decision Mr. Wilson could not take lightly) the stir might be country-wide.