The by-election in West Lepton on March let resulted in
the return of the Liberal candidate, Mr. Newbould, who defeated the Coalition Unionist candidate, Mr. J. F. Mason, by a majority of 2,019. Mr. Newbould had been defeated at the General Election by the late Colonel Wrightson, who had a majority of 5,668. At the by-election the Coalition poll fell from 10,956 to 5,915, while Mr. Newbould increased his poll from 5,288 to 7,934. The obvious explanation is that the electors were thinking solely of war and peace in December, when they were resolved to strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister in dealing with the enemy, while at the by.electMn those who took the trouble to vote were thinking of domestic issues, in the com- fortable and erroneous belief that the international crisis was over. But the obvious reason for this by-election result was far too simple for many commentators. The Times and other interested critics of Mr. Lloyd George attributed the reverse to the " coupon " of approval which he had given to Mr. Mason. The followers of Mr. Asquith hailed the result with transports of joy as a proof that the country was really with them and not with the Government. The Liberal Opposition is so insignificant that its delight at gaining a new recruit is natural enough, but its deduationa from West Layton are grotesquely wide of the mark. The British electorate is not no volatile as some poli- ticians would have us think.
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