The result of the Westbury by-election was declared on Friday,
June 17th, as follows :- Major Long (Unionist)• • .. 10,623 Mr. Harcourt Johnstone (Liberal)
.. 10,474
Mr. George Ward (Labour)
• .. 5,396 Unionist majority ..
The figures at the last election were :- Captain W. W. Shaw (Unionist).. •
Mr. C. W. Derbishire (Liberal) .. Mr. George Ward (Labour) 1,711
The Liberals were confident of winning the seat, and
• •
• •
149 .. 11,559 • 9,848 • 4,731 Unionist majority • • •
though they failed they certainly .did well. That is to say, they did well in the context of their recent history, for Westbury is by tradition a Liberal seat. As the Morning Post correspondent points out, from 1855 to 1923, in- eleven contests only once was a Unionist returned. Mr. Johnstone is an " Asquithian " Liberal, and in spite of pointed invitations from Liberals (who were not in a position to issue them) Mr. Lloyd George did not visit the constituency during the campaign.
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