Welsh Journals

After the Election-What now? TUDOR DAVID THE 8TH OCTOBER has scarcely altered our political complexion. True, there has been a slight over-all swing to the Tories, enough to put another Welshman into the Conservative Division lobbies. But Wales is still, as it has been for most of this century now, a Labour land governed by Tories, and it looks as though things could continue that way for an awful long time. It is a dispiriting prospect both for the bright young Conservative Welshmen like those of the Bow Group, who put the massive Labour votes down to nothing more than political immaturity, and for the old Labour faithfuls in the House who were hoping this time for better rewards than backbench anonymity. Could the electoral picture ever be changed? Could the Liberals come back in a big way and alter it all by a share-out of Welsh seats with the Tories and thus break the Labour phalanx? It seems very unlikely. Even if it were practical politics, there is no evidence of any material improvement in the fortunes of the Liberals in Wales, whatever hopes may have been raised in England. On the contrary, they have receded. There is not a single Welsh Labour seat which they would have won had the Tory candidate stood down-not even Carmarthen. Their candidates were 25,000 votes lighter this time than last. But what of Plaid Cymrui Does the 1959 Election suggest that our destiny is ultimately in their hands? And if so, at which Party's expense will victory be won? The Plaid, on the whole, made progress. Ten of the constituencies they contested also had Plaid candidates in 1955. Here are the proportions of the electorate that voted for them then and now. Percentage of the Electorate Per cent. voting for Plaid Cymru polled by Constituency winning candidate 1955 1959 in 1959 Aberdare 7*4 6-8 62-5 RhonddaWest 12-3 14·5 61-5 Anglesey 6-0 11-4 36-5 5 Caernarvon. 13-6 17-6 42·4 Conway 6-6 6-2 38-5 Carmarthen 6-7 4-4 40-0 Llanelly 9*9 11·2 54·0 Wrexham 8-0 9·9 47'0 Gower 7-9 7*5 55 *o Merioneth 19-2 19·4 34*5