A SSUMING THAT the trend observed by the poll- st ers is
reflected in the actual voting figures, I fancy that the Opposition is going to be even More perturbed by the result than the Govern- tnent. Conservatives of my acquaintance have now settled down to a comfortable resolution that no matter what voters may be thinking. now, in a Year's time they will be properly grateful foi the fruits of sound administration; aberrations like Rochdale and Torrington will be forgotten. If a Conservative candidate were to lose his de- Posit in a by-election, I do not think it would seriously discommode them. But for the Labour Party such a resurgence of Liberal strength repre- sents a serious menace. Maniconstituencies which Labour was waiting to fall into its lap appear likely now to fall into the Liberals' laps instead; and in others the Conservatives, if they find that the tide has not turned back in their favour in time for the next General Election, may be re- duced to joining the Liberals in .electoral pacts. But the main point is that whereas the Govern- Ment has a dozen excuses—the Rent Act, farm prices and so on—to put forward for every defeat, Labour has no excuse.
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