LABOUR TAKES LUTON

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30284, 9 November 1963, Page 11

LABOUR TAKES LUTON

Big Swing Shocks Conservatives (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, November 8. The British Conservative Government has been rocked by Labour’s capture of their Parliamentary seat at Luton, Bedfordshire, last night The Conservatives today waited for the Prime Minister, (Sir Alec Douglas-Home) to vindicate his new Government with a victory in his own by-election fight in Scotland. Voting in both by-elections took place yesterday.

Government’s defeat at Luton—which provided the first indication of public reaction to the new Prime Minister and his Government. But political sources said the swing against the Government of nearly 9080 votes at Luton was an urgent danger signal for the Conservatives. Britain has about 100 “Lutons”—that is, constituencies with majorities about 5000. If the Government in a General Election were to do as badly in all of them, the return of a Labour Government would be assured, sources said. Political statiscticians said that if the Luton verdict was repeatea in constituencies throughout the country, the Labour Party would be “home” with something like a 200 majority in the House of Commons. But Sir Alec Douglas-Home early today took a less gloomy view of the defeat—the fourth for the Conservatives since the 1959 General Election. He pointed out that three seats lost by Conservatives

Sir Alec DouglasHome is defending a Conservative majority of 12,248 against six opponents in the Kinross and West Perthshire by-election. All political quarters expect Sir Alec Douglas-Home to win the seal—one of the safest in the country—but they are cautious in forecasting his majority. The shock of the Luton result—where a former 5019 Conservative majority was turned into a 3749 Labour majority—clearly had its effects on the most optimistc of the Government’s Scottish supporters. The news, however, came too late to influence the Kinross and West Perthshire balloting, which had ended some hours before. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, at his headquarters at Comrie, appeared undaunted by the

in by-elections before the 1959 General Election were all won back. He predicted that the Government would recapture Luton in the General Election, which is due within 12 months at latest. But he said the Conservatives must intensify their efforts to get their policies understood and accepted. The Luton result, declared last night, was:— Mr Will Howie (Labour), 21,108 votes. Sir John Fletcher-Cooke (Conservative), 17,359 votes. Mr Malvyn Benjamin (Liberal), 5001 votes. Dr. Anthony Chater (Communist). 490 votes. Labour majority, 3"' 1 ') votes. The Conservative Party’s share of the total poll slumped by more than 15 per cent, while that of Labour rose by fully 3 per cent. Labour’s share of votes cast rose from 44.9 per cent in 1959 to 48 per cent. The Conservatives’ share slumped from 55.1 per cent to 39.5 per bent. The Liberals, who did not contest the last election, got 11,4 per cent. Of the electorate, 73.9 per cent voted, compared with 82.5 per cent in 1959. Politicians saia the greatest humiliation for the Conservatives was that Luton is in Britain’s “affluent society” belt. About a third of its working population is employed in the automobile industry, earning more than the national average. The Labour Party leader, Mr Wilson, described Labour's win as “magnificent.” He said it "further proved that the Conservative Government have totally lost the confidence of the country and that the nation is turning quite decisively to Labour.” The deputy Labour leader, Mr George Brown, said: “This is a tremendous victory—far greater than I had dared to hope. This result is a tremendously impressive demonstration of the change that has come over this country." The Liberal leader, Mr Jo

Grimond, said: “In spite of all the promises and a new Prime Minister, there is clearly widespread dissatisfaction with the Government and an obvious desire for an alternative."