Associated British-Pathe presents "How Britain Votes".

made by the Pathe Documentary Unit - Director - Peter Bradford; Editor - Maurice Harley; Script Advisers - The Hansard Society.



Signs outside a Polling Station. People go to vote. A man is given his ballot paper and goes to vote in the booth. CU of him placing his cross. MS he places his ballot paper in the box.



Pan from Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) to Conservative Central Office. Ext. shots of Transport House, Labour Party Headquarters. Ext. of Liberal Party HQ.



Meeting of leading Liberals including Clement Davies, Lord Herbert Samuel and Lady Violet Bonham-Carter. LS of Blackpool seafront. People queue up for Party Conference, Tory Leaders at 1947 Conference, Brighton. MS Oliver Lyttleton, R A (Rab) Butler, Bill Aster and Victor Raikel arrive. Int. shots of Conference. Anthony Eden speaks on World Peace.



Exterior of Transport House. Morgan Phillips, Secretary of the Labour Party discussing leaflet design with worker. Copies of leaflet are bundled in Post Room. Ext. of office of South Hammersmith Labour Party in London. Ext of East Fulham Conservative Association. Ext of Chelsea Conservative and Unionist Association. Meetings of Party Workers and public meetings with Election Candidates. Candidates and party workers go out to canvas voters to find out how they intend to vote. A party worker marks of the results of the Canvas on a copy of the Electoral Register.



CU of newspapers being printed. Headline announces Election. MS of Royal Standard flying. CU Royal Proclamation to Dissolve Parliament and call a General Election on Feb 23 1950. Copies of the Election Writ are stamped and sent out to all Constituencies.



Posters are pasted up announcing the General Election in various Constituencies. CU of Returning Officers checking through books in his office. One of the Candidates (Mr Kersland-Lewis) arrives with his Political Agent to hand over his nomination papers and his Deposit (in cash). An Independent Candidate (Albert Perry from Tooting) speaking to an Open Air Meeting - he is raising donations to pay his deposit - he is calling for Cheaper Beer and a Woman Prime Minister. MS Commander Stephen King-Hall with secretary at desk he puts on spectacles, secretary walks out and he starts writing, he is standing as an Independent.



Ext of various Local Party headquarters with posters advertising their candidates. VS of Election Agent (in Oxford Bye-Election) working at desk and talking to Labour Candidate Kersland-Lewis. Shots of Prime Minister Clement Attlee coming out of his Committee Rooms and being driven away by his wife. Shots of Conservative Randolph Churchill working in Devonport. Shots of election addresses of Kersland-Lewis being bundled. People working in office and handing out leaflets. VS of election posters. Good shots of Candidates and workers out canvassing for votes. Lady Megan Lloyd-George out speaking to voters. Liberal Leader Clement Davies on the election trail. Winston Churchill campaigning with his wife, Clementine Churchill. Large crowds cheer as he is driven along street. Churchill speaks into microphone. Clement Attlee walks along road and talking to voters.



Ext of BBC Broadcasting House (British Broadcasting Corporation). People listen to election Broadcasts on radios in homes and pubs. Candidates speak through microphones (including Michael Foot). People are heckling.



General views around Britain on General Election Day. People go out to vote - on foot, in cars, on bikes and horses. Good polling day scenes.



Party workers checking off who has voted outside polling station. Workers go out to convince more people to vote. More voting scenes.



Scenes of the counting of the votes. Announcement made of voting figures to crowd outside a Town Hall. Crowds in London at night wait to see results come through. Crowds cheer as results are shown. People in Night Club dance. People seated at tables drink and listen to the results. Cheering people as results are shown. Scenes in newspaper offices as results come in



CU road sign for Downing Street, London. Harold Wilson arrives at No. 10, Hugh Dalton arrives, Herbert Morrison arrives. Ext. Buckingham Palace. Shots of Clement Attlee, Prime Minister talking with King George VI. LS of Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament). People watch MPs going in. VS of State Opening of Parliament. King George arrives in state carriage.



Ext. of Chelsea Conservative Association. Int. of Liberal offices. Party workers are starting preparations for the next election already. CU addressed envelopes are placed down.



Note: - See UN 2337A & B and UN 2338 A & B for cuts from this film. 50/17 covers the General Election. Labour were returned with a small majority.



Cataloguers Note: Having just stood as a Candidate in the 2001 General Election I can confirm that very little has changed in how elections are organised - MD.



Amendment October 2011: According to a visitor to the site, this clip includes Sir Andrew McFadyean and Jo Grimond.