support twenty "independent labour" candidates, who were widely seen as communists. In the two Bethnal Green seats, CPGB candidates stood under the party name. The Manchester Guardian noted that, where independent labour candidates were standing, the official Labour Party was devoting much of its time to opposing them. In one instance, the Labour Party had booked a hall for a meeting, but the independent labour candidates arrived half an hour earlier and began their own meeting, resulting in a scuffle. The candidates were not expected to win any seats. With 332 candidates, the election saw the largest ever field standing for the council. A record sixty women contested the election. Results The Municipal Reformers retained a large majority, despite a net loss of seven seats. The party won two seats from Labour in Battersea North, and one in Mile End. Labour improved on the second place it had first managed in 1925. It gained a net eight seats, taking Municipal Reform seats in Finsbury, Hammersmith North, Islington South, Islington West, Kennington and St Pancras South East, and also Liberal seats in Southwark Central and Southwark North. Where the party lost seats, this was ascribed to the intervention of the independent labour and communist candidates. These candidates generally polled poorly, but they beat the official Labour candidates in Bethnal Green South West. The Liberal Party ended up one seat down on the Progressive effort in 1925, but gained Labour seats in Bethnal Green North East, and a Municipal Reform seat in Hackney Central. The Times noted that, where Liberals faced both Labour and Municipal Reform candidates, they had generally ended up bottom of the poll, and it described the party's result as "disastrous" for the Liberals. Despite the larger number of women standing, only 21 were elected, the same number as in 1925. References 1928 elections in the United Kingdom County Council election 1928 English local elections London County Council elections March 1928 events