26 JANUARY 1924, Page 2

After all, Mr. Asquith continued, it was the Govern- ment

themselves who had asked for the verdict of the electors—and they had got it. He had not been moved from what he conceived to be his duty by his experiences of the past few weeks during which he had been " cajoled, wheedled, almost caressed, taunted, threatened, brow- beaten, almost blackmailed, to step in as the saviour of society." So far as he knew, however, neither Unionists nor Liberals in general desired co-operation in order to keep Labour out. The only people who would welcome that kind of fusion would be the Labour Party itself, for as a result it would win countless votes.