LABOUR GAINS SEAT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 11

LABOUR GAINS SEAT

Wavertree By-election CONSERVATIVE VOTE SPLIT (Received February 7. 7.10 p.m.) London, February 6. The Wavertree (Liverpool) by-elec-tion, necessitated by Mr. "A. R. Nall Cain’s elevation to the peerage, resulted J. Cleary (Labour) 15,611 J. Platt (National Conservative) 13,771 Randolph Churchill (Independent Conservative) 10,575 A. Morris (Liberal) 4,208 Mr. Morris forfeits his deposit. Mr. Platt said: “My defeat was entirely due to the splitting of the Conservative vote by the intervention of Air. Randolph Churchill with the aid of a London newspaper which misrepresented me and the cause for which I stood.” Mr. Churchill announced his intention to form a new local Conservative association and fight the seat at the next election, when he was certain he would win. The “Daily Telegraph” points out that the combined Conservative poll exceeded Mr. Cleary’s by 8725 votes. The “Daily Express” says that the result will bring the quarrel in the Conservative ranks to a head. Mr. Platt’s defeat will probably influence action against the Conservative rebels, led by Mr. Winston Churchill. Wavertree is the Labour ' Party's ninth by-election gain since the general election in 1931.

The figures for 1931 were: —A. R. Nall Cain (C.), 33,476; O. G. Clark (Lab.), 9503. For 1931 (by-election): Nall Cain, 18,687; S. L. Treleaven (Lab.), 10,042. For 1929: J. A. Tinne (U.), 16,550; S. L. Treleaven (Lab.), 13,585; H. R. Rathbone (L.), 11,723.