TORY REACTIONS to the Liberal revival have been entertaining. When
it could no longer be ignored, the Liberals were threatened with the withdrawal of the pacts in Bolton and Huddersfield by which the party has secured representation at the last election—the assumption being that the Liberals would be the losers. Since Torrington the tone has changed. Fresh pacts are being canvassed; at least one Conservative MP, Mr. Martin Maddan, has been campaigning for the introduction of the Alternative •Vote system of election; and Mr. Randolph Churchill has endorsed an elaborate plan (Mr. Edward Martell's) to give the Liberals a free run, with no Tory opposition, in all marginal Labour constituencies—provided they keep away from the marginal Tory seats. This, of course, is a ludicrous plan, from the Liberals' point of view. It is the marginal Tory seats which they are really interested in; if the Liberal bubble has not been pricked before the general election they might have some chance of winning a few of them. But
on present form they would have no chance at all of winning marginal Labour seats.
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