On Monday the polling took place for 300 County and
Municipal Boroughs of England and Wales (outside London), one-third of whose members retire each year. Labour made remarkable gains, particularly in the North and the Midlands. In Leeds Labour gained 7 seats, and in Sheffield 6, thus obtaining a majority in both places. At Stoke-on-Trent Labour gained 10 seats, in Birmingham 8, in Manchester 7, in Bolton and Liverpool 6. Altogether Labour gained on balance 152 seats. It has for several years been the consistent policy of Labour to nurse the municipal constituencies, and nobody who knows what personal sacrifices this kind of campaigning requires can fail to respect the work of the Labour Party. In that sense the Labour successes have been deserved. It is a common saying that when municipal elections go one way the next Parliamentary elections go the other. It may often have been so, for the pendulum is always swinging, but it ought to be recognized now that the Labour campaign in the municipalities provides a regular school for training politicians for a larger stage.
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