THE ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13909, 7 December 1910, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS.

The three-party coalition and the Unionists continue to race almost neck-and-neck in the British ejections. According to the latest returns the coalition has 117 members and the Unionist

Party 115. At the corresponding period in the general election last January the coalition's strength was 91 and that of the Unionists 83. The difference in tho number of seats accounted for then, and thoso decided now, is largely or wholly explained by tho increase in the number of uncontested seats. Taking the figures published on the first Thursday of the last elections—-a day later than to-day—we find that of the 2-3.5 seats decided the Unionists held 120 and the other parties 145. The Unionists are therefore in a better position wow than they were then. Front their point of view everything now depends on what they can do with the counties, the polling for which will ho in full swing in a fewdays. Nearly all the Scottish and Welsh elections are yet to come, but it is not to bo expected that tho Unionists will have much success there. At the last election they carried only eleven seats in Scotland to the 61 carried by the coalitioc, and in Wales only two to their opponents' twenty-eight. In Ireland their number is almost a fixed quantity. The English counties are their hope. There the Conservative element is strongest, and the policy of the Government has probably aroused the greatest opposition. In the election of 1906 the Liberals swept the counties with 158 members (exclusive of 16 Labour members) to their opponents' 60. In January the Unionists turned over many seats, tho figures being 123 Unionists to 111 Liberals and Labour members. Thnt 111 will have to be considerably reduced if the weight of Scottish and Welsh Liberalism and tho Irish and Labour votes is to be j balanced.