MISS BONDFIEID RETURNS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12507, 24 July 1926, Page 6

MISS BONDFIEID RETURNS

ELECTED BY LARGE MAJORITY SIR P. HASTINGS’S SEAT. Australian and N Z Cable Association. LONDON, July 22. The Wallsend by-election, necessitated by the resignation of Sir Patrick Hastings, Attorney-General in the Labour Ministry, who is retiring from politics on account of ill-health, resulted in the return of Miss Margaret Bloiulfield, the Labour candidate, with almost a 2 to 1 majority over the Conservative candidate, and a majority cf more than 5000 over the combined votes of the Conservative and Liberal candidates. The figures were: M. Bondfield (Lab.) 18,866 S. Howard (Con.) 9,839 Curry (Lib.) 4,000 Sir Patrick Hastings won the seat in 1922 with a majority of 2823, held it in 1923 with a majority of 3176, and again in 1924 with a majority over Mr Howard of 1602. Miss Margaret Bondfield is, perhaps, the best-known of the women connected with tho British Labour movement. She is 53 years of age, and was first returned to Parliament at the third time of asking, for Nottingham, in 1923, with a majority of 4636. She was defeated in tlie 1924 election by 977 in a triangular contest. She was Under-Secretary for Labour in the MacDonald Government, and in 1923 was chairman of the Trade Union Congress. It is noteworthy that Mise Susan Lawrence, another Labour woman M.P., who was defeated in the 1924 election, won East Ham North, in April last, for the Labour Party. “GREAT 'iwiNG~TOWARD LABOUR”? (Received July 23, 8.16 p.m.) The 4< !Daily Herald” claims that the Wallsend victory, following the Labour victories in Darlington, East Ham, and Hammersmith by-elections, indicates a "rent swing toward Labour throughout the country.