English Government Crisis

A drama in newspaper clippings.

Is Eden stepping down?
Rumors are circulating once again about a cabinet reshuffle in England, where Eden, who is both the Foreign Secretary and the Leader of the House of Commons, would resign from one of these posts. It is not yet clear which one it will be. There are also rumors of other changes to be made. – 28-4-44

“Is Eden stepping down?” was in the newspaper,
Things seem unsettled in England,
Major changes are imminent
The newspaper would almost pledge its word on it
That, in his place, very soon
Another minister will take his place.

Churchill‘s defeat in the House of Commons.
As we reported briefly yesterday, the British government suffered a defeat in the House of Commons on Tuesday. The issue at stake is not important. A Conservative MP, Mrs. Cazalet-Keir, tabled an amendment when the Education Bill was being debated, which demanded equal pay for male and female staff. Despite protests of the Minister of Education Butler, it was adopted by 117-116 votes. – 30-3-44

It seems to be even worse than we thought,
Moreover, we can expect
That the entire Churchill cabinet
Will fall due to the resistance

Of an increasingly fierce opposition,
According to a current note
Yesterday, Churchill nearly stumbled,
No doubt, he will fall soon

House of Commons‘ votes confidence in Churchill
Yesterday Churchill received a vote of confidence from the House of Commons by 425 votes to 23. Mrs. Cazalet-Keir, who had tabled the amendment to the Education Bill that led to the government‘s defeat, declared in the House of Commons, according to the British News Service, that she would now vote against her own proposal to emphasize her „unlimited“ confidence in the Prime Minister”. Other members who voted against Churchill a few days ago, now voted in favour. – 31-3-44

What we could not have expected
Today we have news from London,
The House of Commons approved
Churchill’s government policy
Apparently, one had no counterarguments at hand
However, that greatly saddens us.
He got a huge majority.
Still they put their trust in him,
And yet: It‘s not trustworthy.

Smuts as Churchill‘s successor?
According to the British News Service from Washington, Parade magazine will publish an article in its next issue discussing the possibility that General Smuts could succeed Churchill. The article claims that Smuts is exceptionally suited for the office of government leader in the Empire Cabinet and that he has already distinguished himself through his work in the Empire Cabinet during Churchill‘s absence from England. – 1-4-44

There will be another Prime Minister,
The choice is certainly not an easy one.
General Smuts, as we are now reading,
Has the best chance for the job.
Whoever emerges as Prime Minister,
The main thing is: Churchill will disappear.

Eden resigns.
Cranborne becomes his successor.
According to the British News Service Eden‘s resignation as Foreign Minister has already been decided. The announcement, however, is postponed for a few days. His successor is Lord Cranborne, currently the Minister for the Dominions. Eden remains a member of the Cabinet and Leader of the House of Commons. In addition, he will be given the post of deputy Defence Minister of the “Minister of Defence office”. Cranborne, before accepting his appointment, sought Eden‘s advice and received his full approval. This way, as the news service further reports, Eden‘s experience in Foreign Policy will be available to his successor. So far, no further changes to the composition of the cabinet are known. – 5-4-1944

Eden‘s resignation is now certain,
His departure, so it’s written, is confirmed
They already empty a cup of joy
People perceived him only as a nuisance

So the Nazis are not annoyed
They already know who his successor will be,
It’s Lord Cranborne, rumor has it,
Maybe Britain finally

Wants to strike a deal with Adolf
Once again, old dreams revive
Of a London-Berlin alliance,
Of a pact against Stalin,
Eden’s downfall, is a good sign …

Otherwise, there is not much political news, except that it is now officially reported from England that Churchill has no intention of making any changes to the British government in the foreseeable future In any case, Eden will remain Foreign Secretary for the time being. – 11-4-55

Alas, alas, as it turned out
Churchill and Eden remain,
Regrettably, it’s the way one puts it
Which is ultimately a loss,
The government crisis was too good
And most welcome for Berlin
But far too good to be true.