BRITISH ELECTIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 68, 31 December 1928, Page 7

BRITISH ELECTIONS

PARTIES PREPARING FOR CONTEST.

The three poltical parties have now held their annual conferences, and are preparing their campaigns for the General Election, to be held next year, probably in the late spring, writes the London correspondent of the "Melbourne Age." Doubtless, the interest in political questions will intensify during the winter months, but so far there is generally no more than mild and casual speculation as to its possible result. In fact, outside the political camps, it is as yet a matter for gossip and not for serious consideration. Past experience—notably the last election, when the Zinovielf letter ? that curious outcrop of Russian ineptitude, coupled with its almost pathetic mishandling by an overwrought Ramsay MacDonaid, changed at the last moment the whole complexion of the contest —provides adequate warning against longdistance prophecy, and. on this occasion a fresh and .vital factor of uncertainty will exist through the presentation of the vote next May to an overwhelming number of young women who have never yet encountered a ballot box. This factor will keep the party managers secretly worrying until the past possible moment; the old electorate was fickle, but what will the new due be? Beer and baccy were moderately safe vote-catchers in the old days, and what equivalents will most appeal to the flappers or "near flappers," who will now decide the destinies of their country? But political managers are outwardly at least an optimistic race. The Conservative organisers are confident that the Government will be returned, and even if a dozen or two seats are lost, its majority will be perfectly adequate of "less unwieldy" than at present. The Labour organisers think the pendulum will swing to such an extent that their candidates will be returned with a clear majority over all parties. The Liberal organisers think the Conservatives and the Socialists will be returned at approximately equivalent voting strength, and that the Liberals considerably augmented at the polls will hold the balance and will lie able to make their own terms; and won't that be fun for Mr Lloyd George? All ' this optimism requires to be discounted, naturally. The by-elections, the usual straws in the political wind, show no strong gale to be blowing and only surprisingly small anti-Government zephyrs. At a guess—not a nrophecy —one would he inclined to gamble on Mr Baldwin's return to power with a majority, but a very depleted majority, over all parties; a considerable increase in Labour representation, possibly by as many as eighty seats, and . a small increase ineffective as far as controlling the political situation is concerned, among the Literals. But the issue really lies, with those other mysteries beyond the comprehension of mere man, in the hand-bag of Miss 1929.