BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1931, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

PARTY AGREEMENT. (United Prßes Association — By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). LONDON, March 10. The “Daily Telegraph’s” political correspondent says: There is intense interest in political circles in tlie negotiations that are proceeding benirul I'm scenes for an agreement between the Socialist and Liberal Parties. It >■ » plain that Mr MacDonald and Air Lloyd George are both convinced that an understanding is possible by which Labour will maintain itself in office for another eighteen months. Messrs MacDonald, Thomas, Henderson and Lloyd George is specially concerned in securing an agreement that the Socialists • will not attack the Liberals in certain constituencies. THE “TIMES” COMMENT. LONDON, March 26. “The Westminister election deserves its prominence in current political history,” says “The Times” in a leading article. “Air Duff-Cooper’s victory is a discerning tribute to his high political courage and capacity. The verdict also will be greeted with wide and unqualified satisfaction for reasons erabracing much more than Mr Baldwin’s future or the Conservative Party fortunes. St. Georges electorate Has' tested the contemptuous assumption that it could be swayed by crude asteervations, some of which have been | Unbelievably puerile, and especially the' panic at the name of Mr Gandhi. If Mr Gandhi becomes as much an object of timid superstition in England as he is in India, he will owe his prominence

to this discreditable newspaper campaign. The victory is a most welcome assurance that the immense imperial interests and obligations now committed to adult suffrage arc not necessarily at the mercy of daily demagogues, even in a constituency that is exposed at close range to a foaming torrent of misrepresentation.”

PRESS DICTATION. RECEIVTS BIG SETBACK. LONDON, March 20. Referring to the St. George’s elec- [ tion, Mr Duff-Cooper says that this election is one of national importance in demonstrating that Die public, i •whatever its political faith, will not be dictated to by a certain section of the press. , I Sir E. Fetter declares that “this election has at least stirred the complacent mandarins of the Conservative Party. ’ ’ j There was tense excitement at the close of the voting. A great crowd gathered outside Caxton Hall, West-j minster, while the counting of the ( ’ v votes was in progress, including many Society women in evening dress, who .name on from the restaurants and the tyheatrea to hear the declaration - of the poll. There was a force of mounted police in the vicinity in case of any disorder, but the police were not used. The crowd was certainly the most aristrocratic one ever associated with a • bye-election. They cheered loudly when , it was annuonced that Mr Duff-Cooper had won. ELOQUENT SILENCE. LONDON, March 20. The section of the press which sup- / ported Sir E. Petter is silent editorially BYE-ELECTION. (Received 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, March 20. Pontypridd bye-election, owing to the resignation of Mardy Jones, resulted : D. L. Davies (Labour) 20.687 G. R. Rnwshay (Liberal) 8.368 D. Evans (Conservative) 5,489 bye-election. |