BRITAIN GOES TO THE POLLS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 112, 24 February 1950, Page 3

BRITAIN GOES TO THE POLLS

MARGINAL SEATS ATTRACT . . INTEREST

With a large proportion of the country’s constituencies safe for either Conservative or Labour; it is on the marginal seats that victory or defeat depends. Political'observers point out that in the old House of Commons, Labour held four urban borough seats to every one held by the Conservatives. They believe, therefore, that to-night’s results must show at least three to one Labour victory in the boroughs for Labour to be certain of an overall success. To-night’s results will include 39 of the 43 London boroughs. Typical marginal seats are Fulham East and Fulham West, represented in the last Parliahient by Labourites, Major M. Stewart and Dr. Edith Summerskill, Parliamentary Secretary to the Food Ministry: Observers believe that if Labour holds both it will be a sign that the party’s position throughout the country is fairly solid. As voters thronged to the polls today, the odds against a Conservative victory shortened. Every effort was made to get people to the polls, and a record total vote is expected . Thirteen hundred old people at cottage homes in a -Liverpool division set out in relays to record their vote. About 60 were in bathchairs, and some of them were more than 90 years old. In Wales black-faced coalminers marched straight to the polling booths after leaving the night shift—in pit clothes, helmets and all. Mr Churchill was cheered by hundreds of people when he recorded his vote in Kensington. Mr Attlee voted by post. In some London districts bus queues became entangled with long lines of

(N.Z.P A—Copy right.) (Rec. 9.55 a.m.) LONDON, February 23. Party organisers and managers expect to be able to forecast the Election result from the poll in 266 borough constituencies, the count of which should be completed by 3 a.m. G.M.T. on Friday. Among these results, most of them urban areas, are many of the “marginal seats” which all parties will be watching for the first indication of a swing one way or another. As the 266 boroughs announcing their result on the first night include a fair proportion of marginal and non-marginal seats, the following figures will give a rough idea of the final results at the end of the night count at 3 a.m.: (1) If the number of Conservatives elected exceeds the number of Labourites elected, this will point strongly to a substantial Conservative majority in the final result, and a possible landslide. (2) If Labour wins are not at least 10 per cent, higher than Conservative in the boroughs, this will indicate that the Conservatives have a good chance of getting a working majority. (3) If Labour members are elected to boroughs in proportion of two Labour to one Conservative, then it will be a dose thing with odds slightly on Labour.

people .outside polling booths. Bus stop signs were moved to ease the congestion. London’s East End was in holiday mood, and went td the booths in gala fashion. Men, women and children wore gay party colours. Nuns See Outside World At Preston nuns from a Carmelite Convent visited a polling station for the first time in the 30 years that the convent has been open. For the nuns it was their first sight of the outer world since they joined the Order. Permission for the nuns .to leave the convent was specially given by the Pope through the Roman Catholic Bishops of Lancaster. Transport in rural areas included farm carts, buggies and pony and trap services. At Stokenham, in Devon, a beribboned wheelbarrow was on hand as a reserve. Women supporters of the Conservative candidate for South Bedfordshire were being taken to the booth in a hansom cab when the wheel fell off the cab in front of the Labour committee rooms. Practically every country in the world to-day watched the election with the closest interests. Broadcasts from. 30 countries in a dozen different languages showed a great contrast between Western objectivity and Eastern propaganda. Western stations told polling facts objectively. Iron Curtain centres interspersed their news with political harangues. They spoke of both Labour and Conservative candidates as “lackeys” of American capitalism who were preparing for a new war.”