BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26039, 16 February 1950, Page 5

BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

Conservative* Victory Predicted PARTY LEADERS CONFIDENT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, February 15. The political correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the Conservative Party's confidence in victory at the General Election has increased considerably as a result of the latest canvass reports from all over the country. * The leaders of the Conservative Party regard these reports, after the most prudent and cautious assessment, as distinctly encouraging. They hope to win a substantial number of women’s votes, notably in areas where the Socialists are strong. Statisticians havecalculated that in the 1945 General Election, the percentage of work-ing-class women voting Conservative was markedly higher than that of men, and there are indications that this divergence may be even more striking on February 23. Two last-minute Liberal Party nominations brought to 1866 the total number of candidates nominated for the General Election. The Liberals will have 474 candidates.

The election will cost British taxpayers about £700,000, less an estimated £30,000 in lost deposits. The actual cost of the 1945 election was £667,991. -which was reduced by £24,450, the value of 163 forfeited deposits. The aggregate cost of the election will be about £4.000,000 if the expenditure of all candidates is included.