Liberal Party’s Success

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 12

Liberal Party’s Success

The Liberals’ successes in the last four British byelections, culminating in the capture of Orpington from the Conservatives, has restored to the centre party the momentum that it seemed to be losing. The party itself is still a long w-ay from holding the balance of power; but it can apparently attract, in byelections at least, the voters who do hold it The voting in the last week has somewhat resembled the trend in 1958, when the Liberals won Torrington from the Conservatives, but has been more definitely swinging over to the Liberals. Indeed, if as large a proportion of the Labour vote had gone to the Liberals in Blackpool North as it did in Lincoln, or even in Middlesbrough East, they would have w’on that seat from the Government, too But in Blackpool North Labour surprisingly made a modest gain itself. After their 1958 reverses the Conservatives had a surprisingly good win in the next General Election, with the Liberal Party unable to perform as well on a national scale as it had on the local. There is some evidence now, however, that independent-minded voters who wish to end the long rule of the Conservative Party feel that in some electorates—such as Orpington—they are more likely to achieve their purpose by voting Liberal rather than

Labour. If this is indeed true, Labour may be the chief immediate beneficiary of a Libera] revival. On the long view this should not worry the Liberal Party, if in the meantime it adds substantially to its present tiny representation of seven in the 630-seat House of Commons. The Government is beginning to look more vulnerable. The by-election reverses may be less important than the reasons for them. The Conservative Party has not shown itself so much better than Labour in the management of the national finances for the electorate to accept happily the country’s economic problems. Within the party itself there is dissension over such major issues as the European Economic Community and Rhodesia, which draw the Right wing away from the more liberal majority. Finally, the Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan), perhaps only for the time being, has lost the deft touch that has given him political mastery in caucus, in Parliament, and in the country. Much can happen before Mr Macmillan thinks the occasion has arrived for a General Election, and by-elections are a notoriously poor guide; but plainly at the moment the Government is on the defensive facing a jubilant Liberal Party and a Labour Party that is less divided than usual.