The Government and the Liberal Unionists have received a tremendous
blow in the Southampton election, which resulted in the return of the Gladstonian candidate by a majority of 885, Mr. Evans polling 5,151 votes, against 4,266 given for the Conservative candidate, Mr. Guest. In 1886, the highest Conservative polled 639 more than the highest Gladstonian, so that a great minority has been transformed into a still greater majority against the Government and the Unionists. The battle was fought, in some degree on the Home-rule issue, but still more on the temperance issue,i.e., on the licensing clauses of the Local Government Bill,—and also in some degree on questions of purely local interest. The beating is a bad one, but Southampton is a political weathercock, and is just as likely as not to vote Unionist on the next occasion. It never keeps to the same politics for three elections in succession.
Previous page
