ELECTION TACTICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 March 1944, Page 6

ELECTION TACTICS

INQUESTS IN BRITAIN

ORGANISING FLYING SQUADS

Loudon, Feb. 25. Political writers state that as a result of the inquest which followed the loss of the Derbyshire and other House of Commons by-elections recently, the Government is considering the formation of a flying squad of speakers and canvassers for fighting and overwhelming the “Acland Circus” (Common Wealth campaigners). The Government reverses in these constituencies, which normally would have returned a Churchill supporter, is causing more annoyance than anxiety. It is thought that reverses of this kind might be avoided if the Government's case were put to the electors more forcibly, and possibly through some kind of new central machine. "We are contesting these by-elections in a defensive spirit,” said one of Mr Churchill’s supporters. ‘‘We are not fighting as we should.*Thc Government has not anything to be ashamed of. We ought to go on the offensive.” This view has been expressed by Conservatives as well as Labourites, and in the last few days there have been several meetings to discuss the situation, which enables freelance politicians in the name ' of independent candidates to gain a majority of the votes. It is felt that in many cases the byelections have been allowed to go by default. Were the electoral truce modified, the Labor party in particular is convinced the advance of tine Common Wealth party can be stopped. It is understood the Common Wealth party will not press its policy in Bury St. Edmunds, but will give Mrs Corbett-Ashby all support without advancing their own ideas. A Common Wealth spokesman, when asked why Sir R. Acland’s party boosted themselves in West Derbyshire, and kept quiet in Bury St. Edmunds, significantly replied:—“Mr White, the West Derbyshire victor, accepted our programme.” Mrs Ashby has not accepted the Common Wealth programme. That is probably the reason why her election expenses have not been guaranteed, as Mr White’s were. An attack against the Common Wealth has been made by Mr David Robertson (Conservative), who referred to the “capering clowns who have descended on this constituency.” He described Mrs Ashby as: “This elderly woman in the evening of her political days; this woman coming here full of frustration, peddling her ego after seven unsuccessful elections.” Mrs Ashby retorted: “I consider 61 a most delightful age, quite the best I have had up to now. In fact, I am one of the women who have put their age in ‘Who’.: Who.” AWAKENED INTEREST The experience of the Bury St. Edmunds by-election confirms what was already clearly evident in the Skipton and West Derbyshire by-elections—that the countryside has become politicallyminded again. People are crowding to the meetings of both candidates. They are queueing for political speeches as they would for fish or lemons. Even the smallest hamlets among some 150 inhabited places in this rural constituency show proportionately the same signs of renewed interest in politics. This interest concerns itself with what is to follow the victory. There is practically no disposition to criticise Mr Churchill or most of his colleagues in their conduct of the war. Indeed, when Mr Horrabin, Liberal member for Cornwall North, at a meeting began to condemn the direction of certain military eh ter prises he aroused the instant hostility of the audience. It is the future in which the electors are interested, and about which they frequently express their anxiety in strong terms. One immediate compelling reason for the series of Labour party meetings which are to be held in the next few days is the accumulating evidence of a breakdown in the electoral truce in the by-elections. Even Labour leaders in the Government outside, who have don e so much to hold the rank and file of the party to the truce, and who are still convinced that it is wise to preserve it, recognise that it has fallen into complete disfavour among great numbers of the rank and file, and so produced a situation that cannot any longer be ignored. However, it is not expected that the discussions will lead to any positive decisions one way or the other. What they may do is to prepare the way for decisions later in the year. At present the Labour leaders are too much impressed with the overriding need to preserve national unity during the next two or three critical months and to discountenance anything that would weaken, or even appear to weaken, it. Those attending the meetings will be members of the national executive, the administrative committee of the Parliamentary Labour party and what members of the Government are able to attend. I .The Bury St. Edmunds seat was won by the official Conservative candidate.]