By-Election Reflections The by-elections at Cambridge, Lowestoft and Ports- mouth
bring no special comfort to the National Govern- ment or Labour and considerable discomfort to the Liberals, whose candidates at Cambridge and Lowestoft forfeited their deposit. At Portsmouth no Liberal stood. Labour, it- is true, improved its position at Cambridge and Lowestoft, but in neither case did it come anywhere near victory, and at Portsmouth the Labour vote was smaller than in 1980 or 1929—on a smaller total poll. The Conservatives who were elected in each case cer- tainly profited by running as National Government candidates, and the Liberal failures indicate clearly enough that many Liberals feel that the time has by no means yet arrived to revert to party politics pure and simple—a very intelligible sentiment at a moment when events throughout Europe are emphasizing the fact that in the present stress the choice lies between personal dictatorships and governments of national concentration. For Liberals themselves fate is hard, for only a party tide running strong will enable them to keep their organization efficient and their local organizers paid. For lack of that a repetition of the de bdcles at Cambridge and Lowestoft is probable. Another by-election impends at Basingstoke.
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