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[Earl of Crawford]

7, AUDLEY SQUARE, W.l.

Dictated

18th November 1935.

Our friends are agreeably surprised by the result of the
Election, and the Socialists are positively aghast. In spite of marked
success, they had expected many more victories. Generally speaking,
the Election was quiet and unemotional, except the dead-set made against
the two Macdonalds and J. H. Thomas. Elsewhere there was a
good deal of well-organised rowdiness, which The Times stupidly pooh-poohed;
but it was much more bitter and sustained than the general
public realised and, I fancy, has finally dispelled the consoling
theory that Socialist rowdiness does us more good than harm. On the
contrary, it is clear that, apart from the effect upon those attending
the meetings, the result was to intimidate voters throughout the constituencies,
and in certain big towns, and in most mining areas, our
candidates had serious cause for complaint. As the days went on, the
case for the Government grew more clear-cut, more emphatic , and two or
three extra days of electioneering would probably have saved 15 or 20
seats.

Nearly half the Socialist victories were in mining constituencies
which had been trained and attuned by a very intensive wage
campaign, accompanied with a ballot, taken just before the polling day,
asking for a vote in favour of an extra 2/- a day - say 2/- per ton on
the price of household coal. Such an increase would cause glee to gas,
electricity & petrol, which are the most formidable competitors of