BRITAIN VOTES ANTI-LABOUR.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 2 July 1937, Page 4

BRITAIN VOTES ANTI-LABOUR.

A series of by-elections held in Britain over the lasfc two months has provided some interesting figures. Labour gains have been insignificant. Late in April there was a narrow victory for the Labour candidate at Wiandsworth, and this meaut a reversal of the electorate 's deeision at the General Election in 1935. On the same date a by-elec-ton for Stalybridgo • was won, with an equaily narrow nxargin, by a National Conservative candidate; and in West Birmingham there was a Conservative victory with a considerable margin of votes. On June 11 a by-election in the Hillhead division of Glasgow ended with a Conservative vote more than twice as.large as Labour 's. and at Cheltenham on June 22 an Independent Conservative polled 10,533 votes, a Conservative candidate came next with 10^194, and Labour was a bad last with 5570. Three other by-elections held last week endod in the defeat of Labour candidates. Out of a total number of eight by-elections referred to above, six were won by Conservative candidates, one went to National Liberal, and one to Labour. One by-election is too muph at the mercy of locai and accidental influences to be taken as a true indication of political treuds; but when the verdict in favour of the Government has been given seven times and in constituencies varymg as widely at Cheltenham and Hillbead, Glasgow, it can be aceepted freely as a proof of the continued — perhaps increasing^— power of the National Government in Britain. Labour supporters may be tempted to explain the position as an indication of their own weakness in organisation and financial support. But it was shown clearly in 1929 that a Labour Governinent cpuld win the support of something much more than a sectional vote. The experiment of that year has not been repeated. Critics of the National Government have stated that the public was stampeded in 1931, and that a vote recorded in a time of panic was no Teal test of the nation 's attitudo, But the verdict was ondorscd in 1935, and the iatost results show that the Government has undoubtedly succeedod in retaining public confidence.