Richard Dimbleby: 'We now have the first result from London. It's from the new constituency of Fulham and has been taken by Mr. John Hall for the Conservatives.' Here are the figures for Fulham:
John Hall [Conservative]: 41.2%
Liberal candidate: 31.3%
Socialist Labour candidate: 27.5%
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Conservative majority: 9.9%
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After a couple of minutes, Dimbleby announces, 'Sir John Dodd has been re-elected as the Liberal member for Oldham East. Sir John Dodd has been the MP for the constituency since 1946, and previously for the two-member constituency of Oldham from 1928. [1] He has held junior ministerial posts, and is a prominent Liberal backbencher, and generous benefactor of the town.' Here are the figures [1955 general election]
Sir John Dodd [Liberal]: 55.9% [58.7%
Conservative candidate: 25.7% [24.7%]
Socialist Labour candidate: 18.4% [16.6%]
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Liberal majority: 30.2% [34.0%]
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David Butler: 'This the biggest majority we have had so far and swing of only 1.9% from Liberal to Conservative.'
About three minutes later, Dimbleby announces. 'We have just had news that the Liberals have taken Oldham West from Socialist Labour, and Mr Hale is out.' The result comes up on the screen:
James Middleton [Liberal]: 39.3% [37.6%]
Leslie Hale [Socialist Labour]: 37.8% [38.3%]
Conservative candidate: 22.9% [24.1%]
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Liberal majority: 1.5% [Socialist Labour majority: 0.7%]
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Butler: 'A swing of just 1.1% from Socialist Labour to Liberal.'
Meanwhile the panel of politicians from each party [Peter Thorneycroft, Conservative; Ruth Crisp English, Liberal; Goronwy Roberts, Socialist Labour] were discussing the results declared so far. There was something to please all of them. The Conservatives had gained Eccles, Edinburgh East, Salford East and Salford West. The Liberals had taken Cheltenham and Oldham West, and the new seat of Billericay. Though Socialist Labour had lost two seats, and held only Manchester Ardwick, in most of the seats their vote had increased.
[1] Here is the Wikipedia entry for Dodd:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dodd_(Liberal_politician). In this TL there was no Liberal National Party, so he stayed with the Liberals.