BY-ELECTION IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28129, 19 November 1956, Page 14

BY-ELECTION IN BRITAIN

Conservative Lead Reduced (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON. Nov n The Conservative candidate 'r» tamed the Parliamentary seat or Chester for the Government in » by-election a It was the first test of electoral feeling since the Government ordered armed intervention in Egypt. ■Hie Conservative got in comfortably, but had his majority cut. The result, announced yesterday, was: J m Temple (Conservative) 21.137- k Carter-Jones (Labour >. 14.789 j n S. Llewellyn (Liberal). 4242—a maj.' ority of 6348 compared with 11002 in the 1955 General Election There was a poll of 71.03 compared with 77.8 per cent, at the General Election. In the contest the Conservative share of the total vote dropped 5 per cent, from 56.7 to 51.7 per cent. The Labour share rose by u per cent, to 36.1 per cent. The Libert vote also rose slightly. Both the Government and the Opposition parties had been keenh awaiting the outcome of the contest polled at a time when the nation was still deeply divided on Sir Anthony Eden’s Middle East policy. . Labour Party supporters were somewhat surprised by their increased poll, for only two days ago the leader of the party, Mr Hugh Gaitskell conceded that public opinion on the Egyptian crisis seemed to be swinging towards the Government. Mr Temple said that the result was a great victory for the Prime Minister. The state of the parties in the 630seat House of Commons is now: Conservatives and allies, 346: Labour, 277; Liberals. 6; Independent, 1.