As the chill shadow of coal, food, housing and other shortages lengthened over England, Tory hopes for victory at the polls had risen proportionately. But last week, in two by-elections, the Tories got a jarring setback.
Through driving rain, Rotherhithe dockers and housewives plodded to the polls, elected Laborite Robert Joseph Mellish by a 4,444 majority. Twitted by jubilant Laborite Herbert Morrison, Tories replied: "Wait until tomorrow." With the U.S. Republican slogan "Had enough?" Tory leaders Lord Woolton and Anthony Eden had energetically stumped the former Tory stronghold of North Paddington, which had...