The attempt of the Labour and Communist Parties to capture
the London County Council at the elections on Thursday, March 2nd, was handsomely defeated. The ratepayers, roused from their apathy by the crazy extravagance of the Poplar Labour councillors and guardians, went to the polls in fairly large numbers and voted down the spendthrifts and revolu- tionaries. The Labour Party had put forward 96 candidates and had worked very hard for them, but in nearly every district it was beaten by considerable majorities. In the end it contrived only to retain the 16 seats which it had before, and it bred its veteran leader, Mr. Gosling. The Progressives suffered through their half-concealed sympathy for Labour and their reluctance to enforce economy ; they lost a third of their 39 seats, and their leader, Dr. Scott Lidgett. The Municipal Reformers, on tho other hand, gained a triumph, and returned to power with 82— instead of 68—seats out of a total of 124.
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