The predecessor parties had only recently been founded and the choice to merge was strategic: they were both pro-British and, united, they stood a better chance against the Nationalists.

Strickland had been Principal Government Secretary who had become unpopular for raising taxes through Orders in Council, something of which Bartolo was highly critical.

Strickland was to make the threat true years later with the creation of Progress Press and the publication of the dailies Il-Berqa (in Maltese) and the Times of Malta which did, eventually, kill off the Chronicle.

The offer was declined but, in terms of the "Compact" agreement, the three Labour MPs supported the government giving it a majority.

After a protracted battle, letters patent were issued, amending the Constitution, so that bills could be carried by a simple majority of both Houses combined.

The Church was perceived as being sympathetic to the Nationalist Party and the Progress Press papers lost no opportunity in condemning the behaviour of priests particularly in Gozo.

In the feast of Christ the King of 1930 the Bishop's sermon (in Italian) was interrupted by Labour and Constitutional supporters who clamoured for Maltese.

[9] On 1 May 1930, as the elections approached, Bishops Dom Mauro Caruana and Mikiel Gonzi issued a pastoral letter imposing mortal sin and an interdict on voters of the Constitutional Party and its allies (taken to refer to Labour).

This gave the pretext to the colonial authorities to claim that a free and fair election was not possible in the circumstances and, therefore, to suspend the constitution.

Only on the eve of the election did Strickland ask for forgiveness and, although this was granted and the interdict lifted, it was too late to have much impact on the electoral result.

Strickland argued that, as leader of the second largest party in the Assembly, he was supposed to be summoned and requested to try to form a government.

With a strong anti-Italian and pro-British sentiment prevailing, the Constitutional Party elected six councillors to the Nationalists' three and Labour's one.

Strickland was also at odds with the other party MPs who, in the emerging two-party system, tended to side with Labour leader Mintoff.