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Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27669, 27 May 1955, Page 13

Both the Conservatives and the Labour Party want a big poll, but fear the rain may slacken attendance at the booths. The reason for the our organisers’ worry is that they estimate the bulk of their supporters will visit the booths after the day’s work—and this is just the time when the rain may begin. All of the 630 seats in the new House of Commons are being contested. There are 1409 candidates, of whom the Conservatives are fielding 624, the Labour Party 620, and the Liberals 110. The other candidates are Independents or are from various smaller parties, including 17 from the Communist Party. The Conservatives and the Labour Party are pinning their hopes on an outright win, but the Liberals hope to win a sufficient number of seats to enable them to hold the balance of power if neither of the two main parties has a workable majority. Nearly all of Britain’s national morning newspapers forecast that the day’s polling would increase the Conservatives’ working majority of 18 in the old House —though many party canvassers late last night reported an upsurge in Labour support. Voting is from 7 a.m. to 9 p.im Main Parties’ Policies

As the voters go to the polling places they will have before them last-minute summaries of the main policy points put forward by the parties. The Conservatives, headed by 57-year-old Sir Anthony Eden, have promised to continue their “free enterprise” economy with State control trimmed to the minimum. The Labour Party, led by Mr Clement Attlee, aged 71, is pledged to “necessary” State planning and controls to keep down prices. It has also said it will nationalise more industries.

Both parties are agreed on the board range of foreign issues and the election outcome is unlikely to affect the country’s generally bipartisan foreign policy. As soon as polling ends tonight, the ballot boxes will be taken to a central point in each area under police guard and counted behind locked doors. The first result is expected soon after 10 p.m. and another 356 will flood in throughout the night. These will be mainly from towns and cities where ballot boxes can be collected more speedily than in country areas—and are expected to show Labour leading at that stage in the counting since a large section of its support rests on industrialised areas. The remainder of the returns —except three from outlying areas—are due to be declared later tomorrow.

Britain does not close hotels on election day—it extends the hours instead. Tonight beer will flow until midnight in London's ordinary pubs and champagne corks will pop in expensive clubs until the early hours. 1 British drinking generally comes to an end at 10 p.m. Special occasions are excepted by permission from local magistrates and election night is a traditional exception.