Britons go to polls

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 17

Britons go to polls

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Crspdt) LONDON, May 5. The popularity of the British Labour Government will be put to the test for the first time since Mr James Callaghan took over as Prime Minister when local authority elections are held throughout the country tomorrow. Traditionally, no more than one-third of the eligible voters bother to go to the polls in local elections, and the main political parties cannot be sure just what the results mean in terms of national politics, but the elections do provide the only effective national opinion poll of present political thinking, and there will be keen interest in the results. The Conservative Leader of the Opposition (Mrs Margaret Thatcher) has urged her followers throughout the country to support Tory candidates as the first step towards ousting Labour from the corridors of power in Westminster. Municipal elections usually reflect a trend against the national governing party, and Conservative hopes of gains are high, but Mr Callaghan is still enjoying the honeymoon of a new leader, the Government appears to be on the brink

of the new wage agreement with the trade unions, and there are signs of an economic recovery.

AH these factors, backed by private opinion polls, have led to Labour Party optimism that its candidates will not fare as badly as might have been expected. About 16,000 council seats will be contested in elections in all the large cities in I England and Wales (except (for Greater London) and in the towns and villages. To the relief of the Government, there will be no polling in Scotland, where the nationalist’ “home rule” claims have put the Labour Party under tremendous pressure, or in Northern Irealand. Pattern upset Assessing the results in terms of their national significance will be even more difficult than usual this year, because local government reorganisation has upset the usual pattern of the polls, making comparisons difficult; but Labour will be looking for a substantial cut in the 11.5 per cent swing against it last year, the Tories are out for morale-boosting victories in Britain’s two largest cities outside London, Birmingham and Manchester, and in several other important industrial towns. Labour now relies on the Lord Mayor’s casting vote for control of the Birmingham Council, and the Conservatives need only a 5 per cent swing, and five seats, to take charge in Manchester, which has been Labourdominated for 30 of the last 34 years.

Labour councillors now control 24 of the 36 metropolitan boroughs and 91 of the 333 shire, or district, councils. In these country areas, where the Tories con-

trol 67 outright and another 20 with Independent support, there is stern competition from non-party groups, such as ratepayers’ organisations. The Liberals’ national leaders are hoping for signs that the party has survived its recent troubles over allegations against its leader, Mr Jeremy Thorpe, and ihe disruption brought about by the resignation of Mr Cyril Smith as the party’s Parliamentary Chief Whip.