SIR,—I was once in China in a bad famine year
and say on occasion what is perhaps the ultimate degrad- ation a man can 'come to. Henry Fairlie reminds Me of the experience as 1 read his prognostications Made in advance of the by-election results. Having Par. posefully written down the Liberals all summer. Per haps the actual results will make him eat what be bas written. I much prefer what Fairlic calls 'Mr. David Butlers dominating concern with electoral statistics' tba? Fairlie's own dominating concern with wish-fub,u mcnt, his barely-concealed urge to denigrate the WI/ Liberal Party. At least Mr. Butler sticks to facts, and the facts on this occasion are that both the Tory and Socialist Parties lost considerable quantities of votes at ea,_C; and every one of the five by-elections whilst the Liberals made appreciable gains across the wb°Ie field. 1962 is no longer 1959. Mr. Fairlie would perhaps prefer to forget their; but I do not think your readers should be left 1. : ignorance of the total gains and losses, or in ign°',' ance of what they imply for the future:
Con. Lab.
Norfolk Central —8,257 —2,278 Chippenham South Dorset —8,650 —2,083 —8,977 —1,574 South Northants Woodside —9,305 —4,288 —9,632 —6,180 Lib. •
/.55u +2,02,3' +1,0°*, +2,411, R. A. WALgf .g.. Member, Liberal Party Coon° 7 Crossway, Cheshant. Bucks
Previous page
