MIDLOTHIAN LIBERAL DEFEAT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 239, 12 September 1912, Page 4

MIDLOTHIAN LIBERAL DEFEAT.

In no way can the change of political opinion in Great Britain be more accurately diagnosed than in the re suit of the Midlothian by-election, cabled to-day, giving victory to Major Hope the Unionist candidate. Continuously since the year ISSO. when the Right Hon. M. E. Gladstone won it after his defeat at the polls at Greenwich, the Midlothian seat, or Edinburghshire it v. mthen known, has been held by a Liberal member. The cause leading up to tLe change is apparently the defection of Labour from the Liberal party. The contest was a tiiangular one and the returns show that, the combined totes of Hie Liberal ami Labour candidates are 23<1 in iws of those polled for the Unionist. The lesson taught by the election is that a (lommmeut holding office by virtue of faction support lives a very indefinite life on sufferance to the whims and demands of the groups forming its component parts. The fact that Labour put a candidate in the field shows how very deep-lying is the discontent which brought about the Libeial-Labour .split, ami the result of yesterday’s election gives an indication of the disaster that awaits the Asquith Government when the next appeal is made to the country. Without the support of the Labour vote in constituencies where Labour candidates are not present, ilie I.lov d-George combination will find itself relegated to the cool shades of Opposition. Probably, however, before that time arrives, the Government itself will split up into fragments and disappear as completely as the Ward party has done in New Zealand. It was stated that the Master of Eiibank’s retirement from political life-a retirement which caused the vacancy at Midlothian- -was due to pressure of private business, but tin* general belief is that he retired because of his known antagonism to Llo.vd-( leorge's extreme socialistic and land penalising policy. The Master of Llibank has led where many others will follow, and it is only a matter cf a few months; when the Government will dismember itself.