The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1910. BRITISH ELECTION POSITION.

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1910, Page 4

The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1910. BRITISH ELECTION POSITION.

WHILE there may be some inconsiderable difference, when the last of the British returns is to hand, between the party strength at this and the previous January elections, the variation is so infinitely small that the results of the two elections may be regarded as twin brothers in appearance. The captures made by any one party from any other have been so few and so evenly balanced that to all intents and purposes they are nonexistent. But though the equipoise is so evenly maintained, this election goes to show that the people, throughout the Kingdom have repeated the expression of confidence in the Asquith Government given last January. Then, at the invitation of the Lords, the constituencies were asked to condemn the Budget. This they refused to do. At the election now all but over the Liberals invited the electors to condemn the Lords, and, with perfect consistency, the voters responded. The margin between the parties in the new House will be about the same as in the last House, when the position at the inauguration of the first session was:—Liberals • 276. Unionists 274, Nationalists 81, Labor 39. Including the Laborites and Irish members in the Government party, it will be seen how close the resemblance is to to-day's returns, and that the Liberals have again a substantial working majority. In comparing the results this time with the position in the previous Parliament,, it has been customary to say that in the House elected in January, the Liberal majority was 124. This number, however, included eight O'Brienites, and' the proceedings in the last session show that they are not to be safely counted as Government supporters. If these rather inconvenient gentlemen be handed to the Unionists as allies, the true divisionion of the last House would make the Liberal lead 108, which is approximately repeated this time, and gives a good working overplus; always provided that the Irishmen or Laborites do not get their backs up and make things awkward. More unlikely things have transpired, and it will be noted in to-day's cables that the Laborites are already threatening reprisals unl3ss the Government gives facilities for carrying through legislation relative to the celebrated Osborne judgment, which denied the right of using Trade Union funds for political purposes.