1 MAY 1964, Page 18

LIBERAL VOTES

SIR,—Mr. Cooper is puzzled as to how the presence of Liberal candidates in by-elections may have helped the Conservatives. As my letter made clear, the polls which show that Liberals' second preferences are equally divided are based on an average of the country as a whole. There are suburban commuter constituencies where 'perhaps a majority of Liberal second preferences would go to the Conservatives. There are the more distant rural constituencies where the non-conformist and radical vote tends to be divided between Labour and Liberal and where a majority of Liberal second preferences would go to Labour. To take only one example, the Member for Central Norfolk may well owe his seat to the size of the Liberal vote.