GOVERNMENT WELL AHEAD IN BRITISH ELECTIONS

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1935, Page 9

GOVERNMENT WELL AHEAD IN BRITISH ELECTIONS

Latest Result, 418 Seats In 595

LABOUR PARTY RECOVERS 1931 LOSSES BIG MAJORITY FOR BALDWIN REGIME [United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.! (Received 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 15. TT7ITH results of all but a few contests known, the Government ™ majority in the British elections now stands at 240. Government supporters number 418, comprising:— Conservatives • • • s ? 8 Liberal National National Labour ° Independent • 2 The opposition, 177 strong, is made up of:— Labour Liberal Others . The Government parties have had 13 gains and 94 losses, and the Opposition 102 gains and 21 losses. ■ The “Sun-Herald” says that the Government is overjoyed at the results, which, exceeded the wildest hopes. The expectations of the Socialists were disappointed, and the Liberals are. despondent. They foresee Liberalism doomed. , The Government is jubilant at retaining so many industrial constituencies, which were regarded as hopeless before the elections. . They interpret the result as an unqualified verdict to carry out every phase of the free election policy. They are especially gratified at the electorates’ approval of . the foreign policy, which will have, an important effect bn opinion abroad. A vital bearing on this matter is the overwhelming majority given Mr Eden. ; . } No prophesy was more accurately fulfilled than that the Liberals would virtually be extinguished, and the defeat of Sir Herbert Samuel, Mr Harcourt-Johnstone and Sir Walter Rea removes three of their leaders. The Liberal plight is evident in the'fact that 20 have already forfeited: their deposits. : Mr MacDonald Beaten. Mr Ramsay MacDonald, until recently the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was beaten by a Labour opponent in the fight in his constituency, Seaham Harbour. Mr MacDonald was defeated by over a 2-to-l majority. His son, Mr Malcolm MacDonald, was also defeated. The first three returns today recorded. Conservative victories. The majority of Mr Hudson, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, dropped by 10,000 in North Hackney, but the Labour candidate lost his deposit in the agricultural constituency of Basingstoke.

Early Results. Early results from the boroughs showed a few changes. The majorities by which supporters of the National Government retained their seats were considerably reduced from the 1931 figures, but the los? of votes in many cases was less than had been anticipated by many political prophets in the Government as well as in the Opposition Party. The first candidate to forfeit his deposit was the Liberal at Stock-ton-on-Tees, where Mr Harold McMillan, a young Conservative, prominent in rationalisation and “planning” discussions, defeated his Labour opponent by a reduced majority.

Although many Conservative, majorities were reduced, Mr R. S. Hudson, Minister of. -.Pensions, increased by nearly 2000 at Stockport. The chief Liberal Opposition whip. Sir Walter Rea, was at the bottom of the poll at Dewesbury, which he lost to LabourLabour’s Barometer Up.

As the night progressed. Labour’s barometer moved upward with the crop of elctorates they had been generally expected to recover, such as Melton (Mr Greenwood’s old seat), Batley, St. Helens, Bethnal Green, and Camberwell North, where the former Minister, Mr C; G. Ammon, was restored tp favour. Two other former Labour Ministers, Mi* A. V. Alexander and Dr.- H. B. Les-Smith, avenged their crushing defat of 1931, while Mr F. O, Roberts, another ex-Minister, managed to win back West Bromwich.

In all, 12 former Labour Ministers, who were defeated in 1931, secured election. In the results to date, of 67 former Labour members of the House of Commons, who lost their seats in 1931, 37 have been returned and'3o defeated.

The returns from yesterday’s voting in the borough constituencies show, in many cases, reduced majorities for Conservative candidates, who retained their seats. Other Victories. Mr George Lansbury, who resigned recently from the leadership of the Labour Party in the House of Commons,; on account of its attitude toward the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, easily regained the Bow and Bromley division of Poplar. Major C. R. Atlee, who succeeded Mr Lansbury in the leadership of the Opposition, had no difficulty in holding Limehouse. Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Roger Keyes, Conservative, was also returned for North Portsmouth with a majority of 389 votes. Mr J. H. Thomas (National Labour), and Mr W. A. Reid (Conservative) had no difficulty in holding the seats for Derby, which is represented by two members. . Sir Stafford Gripps (Labour) retained East Bristol. A further 330 members will be returned tomorrow.