We ere reproducing herewith ths talk of an article in the Economist of May 18th because of the detail and information it contsins. ~ earns
"Three facts stand out from tha welter of complexity and confusion that surrounds last week's local oloction results, First, Labour broke a record by selecting over 1,700 borough councillors for tha first time in its history, Secondly, the Liberals elected only 250, or 200 fawar that their 1962 total, Thirdly, despite this long-awaited Liberal retreat, the Tories did not progress an inch beyond last year when, with their Independent allies, they dropped to the thousand mark for the first time,
"As usual, results were remarkably uniform over tho whole country. Liborals elected foawer councillors than last year in ovary area except Devon and Corwalls thoy fell back most in Greater London, the Bastern counties and the Yast Midlands, and least in the West Riding and the north. In much of the metroplitan area the Conservativos 214 better than last year and Labour's progress was small (though still quite adequate to give a safe Secinlist majority on the now Greater London Council), But in the oast and in “assex the Torics did much worse and Labour much bettor than last year, and Labour at last rogained lost ground in the West Midlands and Cheshire.
",eeesln those boroughs where the Liberals had a foothold hefors the last goneral election, they actually raturned fewer councillors in 1963 than in 1958 (losses in the north balancing slow progress in the south), This one major setback, which would be temporarily damaging to a sascurely rooted party, may well wipe out the enthusiasm and prestige gonerated by uninterrupted victories, and makes it difficult to resume their profitable forays into new territory,
"The Tories havea awaited the Liberal decline with eager expectancy, the Secislists with some approhension, Yet now it ssems to have brought most grist to Labour's mill, except in the metropolitan area. In many boroughs — York, Grimsby, Laicester, Raading, Watford and Northampton are examples - Labour made most headway where Liberal candidates withdrew or lost votes, or even better in straight fights with the Conservatives than in wards where a new Liberal candidate stood, If the Liberal protest vote has come predominantly from people who voted Conservative in 1959 the protestors now seen likelisr to vote Labour than Tory. Last year, Liborals gnined 82 borough : seats in Groater London and Labour 273 this year tha Liberals gained 19 and Labour 66, In the Midlands, Liberals gained 40 to Labour's 23 in 1962, 3 to Labour's 74 in 1963; in the rest of southsrn England the Liberal took two -thirds of the gains last year (97 to 46) and one-fifth this yoar (37 to 153). Last year Socialists were still lecting seats to Liberals, this yoar they were winnin;; thom back. Now Liberal sondidates at the general election sould now take votes that would otherwise go to Labour, paradoxically it may be the Socialists rather than the Tories who now watch eagerly for a further decline in Mr, Grimond's appeal,
"In 1963 the Conservatives succesded in selecting more councillors than either of the rival parties in only 12 of the 63 county boroughs; Labour was ehead in 67, the Liberals in two (Exetor and Southport) and tho othor two wore equally divided, In the 400 English and Welsh boroughs they elected baroly half as many councillors as the Labour Party. Throughout the south and midlands the Labour vote rose while thoir own fell or stayed the sane, and in the marginal parliamentary seats Labour's progress was as impressive 2s or better than elsewhere, The pro-—Labour swing from the general election was from 7 to 10 per cent in Conservative marginals like Watford, Bristol ° North-west, Roading, Preston and York; oven apparently safe sents like South-— ampton Test, Ilford South or Oxford would be in jeopardy if the municipal swing wore repeated at a general election, Judging by last week's pattern Labour might make greater gains in southern towns....on this showing the next Parliament would have a Labour majority of over a hundredssesseae™