STOURBRIDGE BY-ELECTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1927, Page 7

STOURBRIDGE BY-ELECTION

OPPOSITION PRESS CLAIMS. (Australian & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, Feb. 25. The result of the Stourbridge byeelection makes the sixth Socialist gain in Parliamentary seats since the General Election. The result is evoking intriguing Press comments. The “Morning Post” admits that the Conservatives have lost the seat by a substantial turnover of about 3000 votes. It says that it is inclined to give the first place in the causes to the economic discontent.

The “Daily Telegraph” and the “Daily Express” are silent on the election, except for publishing the result. The “Daily Chronicle” describes the Government’s defeat as a crushingpolitical one. It says: “The Stourbridge figures are a staggerer for the Government. Such a reverse was not even previously hinted at. The Liberals, however, are not surprised. The immediate effect of the Labour win will be to revive the intrigue among the Conservatives for reconstruction. The Cabinet slogan will be: “Clear out the Reds!” If that is not achieved, then it will be the Conservatives rallying cry at the next general election.” The “Daily News” finds in the Stourbridge election an argument for proportional representation. It points out that while 16,561 people have voted there for the Labourite, twentv-three thousand Conservatives and Liberals voted against him. The ‘Daily Herald,” the Labour paper, naturally regards the result as a symptom of how the next general election will go. The “Herald” says- “ The sooner that Mr. Baldwin resigns, the better for the country!”