The result of the by-election in the Wansbeck Division. of
Northumberland was announced on Thursday, February 14th
Mr. G. W. Shield (Lab.) 20,398
Mr. I. M. Moffatt-Pender (Unionist) .. 9,612
Mr. H. A. Briggs (L.) .. .. 5,183
Labour majority 10,786 The figures at the last election were :— .
Warne, G. H. (Lab.) 21,159 Middleton, Mrs. Hugh (Unionist) .. 18,875 Labour majority .. .. 2,284
The Labour Party is naturally exultant at having won three by-elections in succession, but it must be noted. that two of the seats were already held by Labour- Wansbeck and Bishop Auckland. South Battersea, not being a natural Labour seat, was the only one to make a song about. All the three elections were in crowded urban constituenees ; it will be time for Labour to talk of its coming majority at the General Election when it has shown that it can win a typical rural con- stituency. The Liberal 'reading of the three by-elections is, of course, that it is well worth while for the Party to contest every possible seat. Liberal candidates,- even if they dO not get- in, 'will, it is said, reduce the Unionist vote--a sound enough policy if we are, to attribute to the Liberal Party, as we suppose: we must, the belief that a Labour member is always more desirable than a Unionist. .
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