BRITISH POLITICS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 23 December 1926, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS.

SMETHWICK BYE-ELECTION (Per Press Associatior—Copyright. LONDON, December 23. The Smethwick by-election resulted : Mr Mcsley (Labour) ... 1(5,077 Mr Pike (Conservative) ... 9,45)5 Mr Bayliss (Liberal) 2.(500 The crowd in Smethwick, awaiting the election result, sang “The Red Flag” and Christmas carols. Mr Mosley claimed that the personal abuse iu the Capitalist press had increased his majority. The election meant a triumph for Labour over pressocracy. He declared that a large number of supporters had been secured from the middle class. Mr Marshall Pike said the election showed the beginning of the conquest of the Labour Party by wealthy aristocrats. Labour had ’ost its claim to he the real working class party, which had been the basis of its strength. 'l'he Mayor, after the declaration of the poll, denied the allegations of hooliganism made in a section of the London press. The police had not received a single complaint. The Liberal candidate (Mr Bayliss) forfeits £'lso deposit. He failed to poll one eighth of the vottss cast.