Labour loses majority in House
NZPA London The Conservative' Opposiition comfortably held its parliamentary seat in the heart of London, to put Britain's ruling Labour Party into an over-all minority position in the House of Commons yesterday. But the swing of 9.25 per cent to the Tories was well below what they have achieved in recent by-elections, particularly at Workington and Walsall North.
A plea during the campaign by the Conservative candidate, Mr Peter Brooke, aged 42, for a big turn-out of voters clearly fell on stony ground. The turn-out was less than 40 per cent, which shows a remarkable degtee of apathy, even for a by-election. The Conservatives were obviously hoping for a more spectacula. victory. They increased their October 1974 majority by more than 2000. In General Election terms the swing represents a considerable Conservative majority in the Commons. .
The defeat offered little; hope for Labour. It achieved; only 19.6 per cent of the; vote, a record low in this! constituency since the war. ! For the Liberals, it was ( disaster, with their candi-j date, Mr Angus Scrimgeour, one of seven contestants to; lose his deposit. The result means that the (Prime Minister (Mr CallagJ.han) must be more careful : than ever in his dealings ’ with members of' Parliament. ; His party and allies are now outnumbered, although there 1 are two by-elections pending in Labour-held seats ' Labour is still the biggest ' party, with 310 seats, and can 'usually rely on the sup1 port of two Irish and two ’ Scottish members to muster 1 a total of 314. But the com--1 bined Opposition parties ' comprise 315 members. ’ Fortunately for Mr Callag!ihan, these Opposition '(groups, including Scots and .(Welsh Nationalist parties as (dwell as Conservatives and (Liberals, have rarely been in jfull accord. i The Opposition pressure 1 on his administration, how- , ever, is increasing, with the 1 Conservative Leader (Mrs 1 Thatcher) determined to ' mount all-out attacks to top- ' pie the Government, and [-'Scottish and Welsh Nationalists upset over the ' thwarting of plans for , limited home rule for Scot- ’ land and Wales. 1
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Press, 26 February 1977, Page 6
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342Labour loses majority in House Press, 26 February 1977, Page 6
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