1600 CANDIDATES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 25 June 1945, Page 5

1600 CANDIDATES

NOMINATIONS TO-DAY Rugby, June 23. Altogether about 1600 candidates will go forward on Monday for nomination for the forthcoming general election states a lobby correspondent. They will put down together m cash deposits approximately £240.000. Each candidate has to deposit £l5O before he can stand. The deposit is returned unless the candidate fails to poll at least one-eighth of the votes cast in his constituency. The object of the deposit is to discourage "freak” candidates. Nominations will not be a record, as there were 1728 for the 1929 election when three parties had more than 500 each. Mr Churchill’s contingent of candidates is expected to total 623, including 13 women. Labour has the largest party group, with just over 600 candidates, 40 of whom are women. Liberals expect to have 305 candidates, of whom 21 are women. Common Wealth will have 25 candidates, including four women, and Communists have 21, including two women. In addition there are a number of independents. About 465 former members are recontesting their seats and a considerable number are likely to be returned. Voters total about 30,000,000, of whom possibly one-third were not old enough to vote in 1935. Though polling will be on sth July no votes will be counted till 26th July. Very lew candidates are unopposed, and there are certain to be a great many three-cor-nered contests.