BRITISH POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 November 1922, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

EIECriOH RESULTS RRELIMINARY RETURNS

(By Electric 1 elegraph.--Copyright.) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, Nov. 15. Preliminary election returns show the, following state of parties: — Conservatives (-12 unopposed) 123 Liberals (5) 19 National Liberals (7) ... 16 Labour (1) 42 Various ,1) 2

IN THE LEAD

LONDON, Nov. 16

-There was a great reversal at Oxford where the -Conservative, majority of 5000 was converted into a Liberal majority of 3800. A sensation was caused at Battersea North through Saklatvala, an Indian extremist, defeating the National Liberal candidate by 2000. Mr Devlin, though failing to secure the Liverpool Exchange seat, ran within three thousand of Leslie Scott, the sibling Conservative. Sir R. Horne was returned for Hillhead division of Glasgow with a slightly increased majority. Grigg, National Liberal, headed the poll at Oldham, Lady Emmett being at' the bottom.

Mr Stanley, under-secretary of Home Affairs, was defeated at Preston, a Labourite topping the poll. •Mr Clynes, who was not opposed in 1918, was returned for Platting division of Manchester only through the split ting of the anti-Labour vote.,. The combined Liberal and Conservative vote exceeded Labour. Excitement in London increased as the evening wore on, especially when La Four victories at Barnsley, the Henley division of Stopc-upon-Trent, and .-Accrington were announced on illustrated screens in Trafalgar Square, and on ■newspaper offices on the Strand and in Fleet street. There were also loud cheers when a popular independent like Col. Ward for Stoke division of Stoke-upon-Trent, was re-elected.

It is estimated that at least twenty thousand motors were placed at the disposal of candidates. Many had fifty or sixty employed bringing voters to' the poll, the Labourites having Inore cars than ever before.

The state of parties now is— Liberals 25 Conservatives 161 National'Liberals 21 Labour ... 64 Various ... 7 Mr Bonar Law and Mr Asquith have been returned. Mr Leslie Wilson is the second minister whose defeat has been announced, Mr Erskihe, an Independent Conservative winning St. George ? s division of Westminster by 35,000. _Lady Astor was returned for Sutton division of Plymouth; Dr Macnamara for North-west Camberwell; Mr Tnskip for neutral Bristol: Mr Ramsay MacDonald for Aberavon division of Glamorganshire, wresting the seat from a supporter of Mr Lloyd George. Dr Addison was defeated at Shoreditch by a National Liberal. Among Australasians Mr Harris won south-west Bethnal Green; Mr Lynch was bottom of the poll at Central Hackney; Mr Pownall was returned for East Lewisham; Col. Freybcrg was defeated at South Cardiff.

Mr Asquith’s majority at Paisley was under 400 compared with 3000 in 1918. Women candidates fared badly. The defeated include Dame Gwynne Vaughan at North Camberwell; Mrs Oliver Strachey for Brentford and Chiswick division of Middlesex; Eleanor Rathbone for East Toscteh division of Liverpool. The sitting Conservative, Mr James, retained Brombley, Forster’s old seat Ther have been eight Labour gains in Glasgow, where several well known Conservatives were beaten.

Mr Bonar Lawks majority at Central Glasgow of 13,000 in 1918 was reduced to 2500 over Labour, while Labour and Liberal combined polled four votes more than the Premier. State of parties— Conservatives 165 Liberals 36 National Liberals 22 Labour 67 Various 7 Mr Thomas was re-elected for Derby. Conservatives have gained two and lost six; National Liberals lost five, no gains; Labour lost one and gained eight. Mr Montague was defeated at Cambridgeshire.

CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY OVER ALL OTHER PARTIES

LONDON, Nov. 16.

Mr Austen Chamberlain beat a Labourite for Birmingham West by 5500. Colonel Amery was re-elected lor Sparkbrook Division of Birminghath ; Colonel Sanders for Bridgewater Division of Somerset; Sir Newton Moore for Islington North. The Liberal candidate defeated Sir A.' Griffith-Boscavven for Taunton. Mr McCurdy was re-elected for Northampton.

Mr Clayton, a Conservative, defeated Mr Arthur Henderson by 14,670 to 12,897. The state of parties now is:— Conservatives 294 Liberals ~ 44 National Liberals 35 Labour 105 Various 11

Thus the Conservatives now have a. majority over all other parties combined with 126 results to come.

WOMEN’S VOTE A STRIKING FEA TUBE

LONDON, Nov. 16 J

Polling in London areas is quiet, opening in the murk of a November fog, which prevailed during the greater part of the day. _ An average poll of 75 per cent is expected in the 59 London seats.

A striking feature is the women’s vote. Many women attended the polling booths an hour before the opening. There were some absurdities from Yorkshire constituencies, where the names of boys of twelve and three years appeared on the rolls. These were allowed to vole.

All West End hotels were permitted to remain open to provide for the wants of the crowds thronging the city awaiting results. For the same purpose, train,-tram, and tube services were extended into the small hours.

As polling continues to eight and nine o’clock, few returns are expected before midnight. The full strength of the New Parliament, including Ulster members will be, 615.

MR OHUUCIIIi'U DKKKATK.I) LONDON. Now lb Mr Winston Churchill was defeated at Dundee. A Labourite beat Sir/ Donald Mac

lean at Peebles. Sir Alfred Butt heat. J. W. Molden for the Balham division of Wandsworth by 9195. Sir J. Norton Griffiths was re-elected for Wandsworth Central with an enhanced majority over the Labourite. Hon. S. Baldwin retained the Dewdley division of Worcester by a majority of 5443 over the Liberal. Lord Robert Cecil retained his seat by a majority of 5075 over the Labourite at II itch on. Hon. W. C. Bridgeman was re-elected for Oswestry. Mrs Wintringham la at Hutchings for Louth. Sir llamar Greenwood has been defeated. Dr Chappie defeated Kcnswick. Conservative, for Durfricshire, by 2241. .Major Ormsby Gore retained Stafford By a majority 3318 over Labour. Major Astor beat Mr Poison for Dover by ien thousand votes. jVlr Dudben. Liberal, heat Mr Watson, Scottish Lord Adv<r cate, for Galloway. Mr New bold, a Communist, was elected for Motherwell division of Lanark, where two Liberals split the vote. Mr Neville Chamberlain retained the Ladywood division of Birmingham with a reduced majority against a Labourite. ?

The latest estimate of parte gains and losses are: Conservatives.’ gained 7, lost 27; Liberals, gained 14, lost 4 ; National Liberals gained 3. Inst 27; Labour gained 34, lost 4; Independents gained 5, lost 0.

CLEAR MAJORITY FOR coy SERVATIVES

LONDON, Nov. 16, Compared with the 1918 'elections the polling in all constituencies was enormously heavy.

Mr Henderson’s defeat at Widnes was a- great surprise. Mr Clayton. Conservative, boat him in a stnightoul fi<dit by 1782. *

Viscount Ednam, Conservative, was reelected for Hornsey. Sir M. Conway and _Mr H. A. L. Fisher retained their seats for the combined Universities of Durham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds. Sheffield, Birmingham and Bristol. Sir M. Conway leading Mr Fisher by a few votes.

Sir L. Worthing-Evans wns re-elected for Colchester.

Sir John Scaly and Mr Kcllawav were both rejected. Commander Buraev was elected for Uxbridge. Mr F. S. Jackson, the cricketer, was re-elected for Howdenshirc.

Voting in Islington was—Sir Newton Moore 13,520; Miss Tnbeuville (Labour) 7993; Sargent (Liberal) 7256. Sir John Simon was elected for Such Valley. '*• At Durham J. Ritson (Labour) beat, Mr Hills, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, by 2672. Mr McCurdy beat Margarent Bondfield by 5476. Mr fieri Tillet escaped defeat at North Salford by 19 votes. Mr Philip Richardson, rifleman, iron Chertsey for the Conservatives. Mr Harney was elected for South Shields, where Mr .Havelock Wilson was bottom of the poll. Tire counting of county votes only began this morning. Among the unclassified returns three stood as co-operators and may be regarded as Labourite successes. The state of parties is now;— Conservatives - 343 Liberals 59 National Liberals 47 Labour 132 Various 13

Tim Conservatives thus have a clear majority over all other parties combined.