3 JANUARY 1920, Page 11

At the by-election in Bromley, Kent, Colonel James, the Coalition

Unionist candidate, was returned by a majority of 1,071 over the Labour candidate, Mr. Hodes. Last December Mr. H. W. Forster polled 16,840 votes for the Coalition against the 4,339 votes given to Mr. Holford Knight as an Independent Liberal. In this election Colonel James polled only 11,148 votes against the 10,077 votes given to the Labour candidate. The large Labour poll is noteworthy. On the other hand, the decline in the Coalition poll was unquestionably due in part to over-confidence. As it was, barely half the electors troubled to vote. Supporters of the Coalition must learn to take Labour candidates seriously.