THE ELECTION

Southland Times, Issue 20771, 11 May 1929, Page 7

THE ELECTION

POLITICS IN BRITAIN CONSERVATIVES’ STIFF BATTLE LIBERALS VERY ACTIVE (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 9.15 p.m.) London, May 10. With Parliament prorogued the election campaign begins in earnest throughout the country. The House could no longer be held together as the members for the past month have been stealing away to constituencies. An increasing number have been making speeches and keying up local organizations. Ministers have been more or less tied to the House and Whitehall, but the Opposition leaders and many of the smaller fry have long since vanished into the wilderness. Those who remained separated goodhumouredly and banteringly, one saying to another: “Well, I suppose I shan’t see you again,” others offering to ensure rivals against the loss of their deposits. A lobbyist recalls the saying of the late Sir Wilfred Lawson, a witty teetotaller: "It is far easier to go to the country than to come back again.” Conservative members of the House realize that they are faced with the stiffist election battle of modern times in which many a doughty champion must, bite the dust. The Liberal unemployment scheme still holds the field as the chief topic of discussion. If the Liberal Party is dead it is a pretty lively corpse. There are now Liberal candidates for 498 seats, and the candidates number 1657. It is expected that the new Parliament will be, summoned for June, 25 when the Speaker will be elected and members sworn in. There will be another brief vacation before the actual business begins, then it will depend upon the result of the General Election whether the present Government will remain in office for a further five years.—-Australian Press Association. After the General Election of 1924 the state of the parties was:— Conservatives 415 Labour 151 .Liberals , 44 Independents 5 This gave the Conservatives a clear majority of 215 over all other parties in the House. A certain number of members were returned as Constitutionalists, but for convenience they have been classified according to the political party from which they now receive a whip. Reckoning the two seats rendered vacant by the deaths of Mr. Stephen Walsh and Mr. Frank Varley as Labour, the present position of the parties is:— Conservatives 401) Labour 162 Liberals 46 Independents 7 Thus after nearly five years of office’ the Conservative majority over all other parties combined stands at 185, compared with 215 at the opening of the Parliament. There have been 63 by-elections since the general election of 1924 and in only two instances was there an unopposed return. In the 61 contested elections the following votes were cast: — 58 Conservative candidates .. 6.30,680 56 Labour candidates 567,914 59 Liberal candidates 447,834 1 Communist candidate . . .. 2,618 6 Independent candidates .. 10,698