CONSERVATIVE TRIUMPH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18219, 1 November 1924, Page 15

CONSERVATIVE TRIUMPH.

+ TWO TO ONE MAJORITY. LIBERAL PARTY SHATTERED. LABOUR STRENGTH REDUCED BY A QUARTER. Britain has been swept by a wave of Conservatism, and, with 15 returns still to come, Mr Baldwin's party already holds more than two-thirds of the total strength of the House of Commons. Except during the life of the Coalition, there has been no majority like it since 1906. The Liberal Party has been shattered, having lost 120 seats. Labour will again be the Opposition, but that party has lost 45 seats, several Ministers being among the casualties. The state of parties now, as compared with the House elected last December, is:— 1923. *1924. Conservatives .. 258 414 Labour .. .. 191 146 Liberals .. 158 36 Others .. 8 4 returns to come. An analysis of the voting shows the following totals:— CONSERVATIVES .. 7,807,524 LABOUR .. .. 5,503,197 LIBERALS .. .. 2,877,349 The chief gains are:— Conservatives: From Liberals 103 From Labour 52 Labour: From Liberals 16 From Conservatives 7 Liberals: From Labour 9 NATION-WIDE. I STABILITY;

SWING TO CONSERVATISM. LIBERAL STRONGHOLDS COLLAPSE. (EBUTBRS TELEGRAMS J (Received October 31st, 9.30 p.m.) LOXDON. October 30. llow great a blow Liberalism has received is shown in the fact that old strongholds like Cornwall and Devon have gone entirely Conservative. The triumph of the Conservatives is not confined to any area, or type of seat. It 16 as noticeable in industrial as in agricultural centres, and extends to the Clyde and other parts of Scotland. Mr Baldwin is receiving shoals of telegrams of congratulation. He is leaving for a short rest in the country after the strain of the campaign.

MR BALDWIN'S MESSAGE. "A PHENOMENAL VICTORY." (Stones "Sto" Service.) LONDON, October 3D.

In a congratulatory message to his supporters, Mr Baldwin says: "You have achieved a phenomenal victory, more than justifying the confidence I have always had in the political judgment and common-sense of the British people when confronted by a grave issue."

THE ENGLISH COUNTIES. LANDSLIDE TO CONSERVATISM. (AtJSTEALIAN AND K.Z. CABLE ABSOCIATIOS-) LONDON, October 30. When yesterday's Conservative victories turned to-day iutc a landslide which represented a turnover unequalled since 1906, all calculations were upset. A Conservative majority over all parties was expected, but nobody anticipated it would bo effected by tKS" practical annihilation of the Liberal Party. In the counties the Conservative triumph was remarkable. Essex, Sussex, Hereford, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Suffolk, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Somersetshire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Dorsetshire, Kent, Surrey and Bedfordshire went completely Conservative. Vast crowds heard the results at Aberavcn, where Mr Mac Donald's supporters frenziedly sang "The Red Flag/' Mr Mac Donald, appearing weary after the campaign, said: "Labour is up against a maximum reactionary movement, but let them all com©.*' The closest contest was at West Leeds, where, after a second recount, the Labour candidate had a majority of one Another recount is proceeding. ANALYSIS OF VOTING. (Received October 31st, 10.15 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. The "Morning Post" says the votes cast for the various parties were: Conservatives ... 7,807,524 Socialists ... 5,503,197 Liberals ... ... 2,877,349 Independents ... 79.730 Communists ... 45,582 Republicans ... ]8 790

THE COUNTRY'S FUTURE. PROBABLE CONSERVATIVE MINISTERS. (AUSTRALIAN AND K.Z. CABt.E ASSOCIATION.) .(Received October 31st, 10.45 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. "Stable government is now possible for four years," is the pronouncement of all mcderatc politicians. Even the Liberals, who arc bitterly disappointed and even resentful at the debacle their party suffered, insist upon this aspect of the situation. Cabinet will meet on Friday to consider the question of resignation. If Mr Mac Donald decides to meet Parlia.ment, thus getting time to clear up the rights ond wrongs of the'Zinovieff publication, the want-of-confldenee motion will be carried on November 26th, but Mr Baldwin will already have prepared a list of' Ministers for submission to the King. It is expected thai Mr Austen Chamberlain will be Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lord Birkenhead' may succede Lord Cave, who is in poor health, as Lord Chancellor. Mr Neville Chamberlain is likely to have the portfolio of Labour. Lord Derby should bo Secretary of State for War, Mr Amery First Lord of the Admiralty, and Sir Philip Itloyd-Greame President of the Board of Trade. The additibn of Sir llobert Home and Mr Churchill will make the Cabinet far stronger than Mr Baldwin's ill-fated first Administration. Sixty-four candidates forfeited their £l5O deposit because they failed to poll one-eighth of the total votes. Five of those penalised are women.

THE LIBERAL ROUT. COUNTRY ASTONISHED. (AUSTBAI.IAN AND N.Z. CABLE AS fOCIATIOK.) LONDON, OctoUer 30. The rout of the Liberal Party has astonished political circles. Even the Conservatives regret the eclipse of their historic opponents. But the Liberals staunchly declare that the eclipse is only temporary and suggest that the disaster was due not so much to the fact that the country voted anti-Liberal as to the fact that it voted anti-Labour. Undoubtedly many voters normally Liberal tvoted Conservative in order to keep out the Labourites. Liberals are of the opinion t-hat the informal pact was to the advantage of the Conservatives more than the Liberals. as Conservatives did not vote for Liberals so freely as Liberals voted for Conservatives. A high official of the Liberal Party declared that the returns overwhelmingly demonstrated the need for such a reform of the electoral system as would deliver the country from the peril of minority representation.

OUTSTANDING RESULTS. (Rooeived October 31st, 8.40 p.m.) lA)NDON, October 30. The five outstanding University polls will be declared between November Ist and 13th, the Fermanagh and Tyrone results to-morrow, and Inverness (Western Isles) in a few days.