Evening star., 1950-02-24

prediction predictions by both
sides that the poll might touch
record-smashing 26,0O0,OOO. The
number eligible is slightly over
34,O00,O0O.
Complete returns from the Lon
don districts gave Labor 81 of
the 43 seats and the Conservatives
II. In 1945 London had 81 seats.
Labor held 48, the Conservatives
II and splinter parties three.
Mr.. Churchill spent most of the
night receiving returns at his Lon
don residence near Hyde Park.
Today he drove to nearby Wood
ford, his own constituency, to
watch the counting of votes. He
was cheered by a small gathering,
mostly women.
May Force New Vote.
Many of the districts still to be
heard from were in traditionally
labor strongholds.
The race was so close, however,
that many leaders on both sides
speculated on the possibility that
neither party would be able to
muster a working majority in the
new Parliament. That would
force a new election in the near
future.
A Conservative spokesman said
there seemed a good chance that
the winning party, whichever it
was, would be lucky to scrape
home with a majority of 10. If
this happened another election
would be unavoidable.
Usually in these circumstances
there are minority political groups
which can be persuaded to sup
port one side or the other.
But this time the Liberals,
third strongest party in Britain,
we're making a sorry showing in
seats won and the splinter"
groups were completely obliter-
ated.
Rural Vote Comes In.
An outpouring of voters from
the rural and small city districts
revived Conservative hopes early
in the day after a night of gloom.
The picture changed completely
overnight. In the early returns,
Labor piled UP lead which many
leaders of both parties believed
meant certain victory.
When the counting was recessed
last night, with Labor holding its
big lead, there was jubilance at
Transport House, Labor Party
headquarters. Labor supporters in
Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar
Square staged victory celebrations.
Gloom settled over Conservative
headquarters.
Before the voting, Labor leaders
had predicted they would win, but
would have a smaller majority
than they won in 1945.
London's morning newspapers
were cautious, but two of the
city's three afternoon papers said
in early editions that it looked
like the Laborites were in for an
other five years. One of these
papers was Lord Beaverbrook
Conservative Evening Standard.
The swing toward the Conserva-
tives became apparent soon after
the counting was resumed this
morning. The Labor lead quickly
dropped to 43, then "a. II was
down to IT by midafternon, and
continued dropping until the ties
occurred.
Communists Take Beating.
While the two big parties were
battling it out and electing nearly
all their top leaders, the Liberal
Party and the Communists took
severe beating. The Liberals
had put 400 candidates in the
field and the Communists 100.
Prime Minister Attlee. Foreign
Minister Bevin, Deputy Prime
Minister Herbert Morrison and all
other cabinet members, with two
or three exceptions, were re-elect-
ed to Parliament.
There was jubilation among
Conservative leaders at London
Party headquarters as Labor's
lead dropped steadily.
An atmosphere of caution de-
veloped at Transport House.
Mr.. Morrison, who ran Labor
campaign, arrived in mid-morning