WEIGHED AND WANTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 12

WEIGHED AND WANTING.

DEFEAT FOR LABOUR.

BRITISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. [from orm own correspondent.]

LONDON, Nov.. 3 3

At the municipal elections held yesterday throughout England, Labour suffered a crushing defeat. The rout was most overwhelming in the great industrial centres. There is hardly a single town or borough in England and Wales in which Laboun has not lost seata. In many places its power has dwindled almost to insignificance.

The most extraordinary result of the day was the clean sweep of Soutbwark made by the ratepiyars' candidates. Southwark is that huge district south of London Bridge, and contains one of the largest working-class populations in London. In the last council Labour held 30 Beats, but every one of the 60 seat* has been captured by the anti-Socialist candidates. Another" very striking result was seen in Camberwell, in which Labour formerly held 32 out of 60 seat*. In the new council it holds only nine. The Municipal Reformers g6 back 38 strong, while 13 Independents have been rei/urned. At Greenwich the Municipal Reiormers have secured 15 of the seats, the Progressives seven, and Labour only retains eight. In the old council Labour had 20 members, and Municipal Reform ten. In Shoreditch the Labour party were routed, only retaining ten seats, as against 31 in the old council. The Progressives, with 17 seats, are the predominant party, the Municipal Reformers following with 14. One Independent wag elected.

In Fulham a Labour majority of 12 has been turned into a Municipal Reform majority of 34. In this borough the Labour Party has been almost entirely swept off the board, only retaining one seat. In Lewisham they failed to return a single member. Lewisham, however, does not represent a Municipal Reform victory except in so far a,<i its 14 Independent members have disappeared. It had only nine Labour members in the last council. In Deptford, where on the old council Labour had a majority of three against all other parties combined, it now holds only 18 seats out of 36. East and west, north and south, the story is the same. Six seats here, three spate there, all fell before the determination of the ratepayers that in future they would place the management of their affairs in the hands of sane administrators rather than idealists and spendthrifts. In a word, the Labour members have been tried and foupd wanting. They hare been turned down by their own class.