APATHETIC ELECTORS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1924, Page 5

APATHETIC ELECTORS

GROWING LABOUR VOTE.

Analysis of the voting on 6th December shows that in the contested , constituencies in Great Britain (excluding Universities), returning 552 members, only 7X per cent, of the electors went to the poll, while in London the percentage was as low as 60. The following shows the percentage of electors who vote in various groups of constituencies: —Whole country, 71 per cent. ; London boroughs, 60 y per cent.; English boroughs, 78 per cent.; English counties, 70 per cent. ; Welsh boroughs, 79 pec cent.; Welsh countieß, 76 per cent.; Scottish boroughs, 71 per cent.; Scottish counties, 71 per cent. The percentage of the electors voting in a number of the large cities was:—Glasgow, 68.9 per cent.; Birmingham, 62.25 per cent.; Manchester, 72,1 per cent.; Sheffield, 71.25 per cent, j Liverpool, 63.6 per cent.; Leeds, 66.95 per cent.; Edinburgh, 66.6 per cent.; Bristol, 72.6 per cent, j New. castle, 76.24. per cent.;, Nottingham, 68.2. per cent.

In no fewer than 202 cases members have been1 returned on a minority vote. These instances of minority representation 'are divided as follows:

Coji. Lab,.Soc. Lib. London boroughs ... 13 12 6 English boroughs"... 27 • 29 16 English counties ... 40 13 18 Welsh boroughs ... 2 2 1. Welsh counties ... 1 1 2 Scottish boroughs ... 5 3 2 Scottish counties ... 2 7 — Total ... ,.. 90 67 ■ 45 Since .1900 Labour representation in the House of Commons, and the number of votes 'cast for the party, have increased as follows: 1 : ■.•■-. '.■■ Members. Votes. 1900 9 118,003 1906 54 448,808 « 1910 (Jan.) ... 40 532,807 1910 (Dec.) ... 42 381,024 1918 .- 61 . 1,754,133 1922 :. .'. 142 4,247,800 1923 : 192 4,348,379