THE Government yesterday fixed May 6 as the date of the first

by-election of the present Parliament, at Newbury, Berkshire -- where

the Conservatives, despite a 12,357 majority at the last election -- are

privately concerned they could lose the seat.

The Conservatives have named the day to coincide with the English and

Welsh county council elections in a bid to restrict the number of

workers the main challengers, the Liberal Democrats, can put into the

constituency.

The loss of Newbury and bad local results would depress morale in the

party just when Ministers are hoping that signs of economic recovery and

the prospect of completing the Maastricht Bill's progress through the

Commons could bring an end to the Government's bad spell since the

election.

A defeat also would reduce the Tories' overall Commons majority to 19.

The Liberal Democrats need a 9.3% swing to overturn the Tory majority

-- by no means an impossible feat if they repeat some of their

spectacular by-election triumphs of the last Parliament.

The by-election has been caused by the sudden death of the sitting MP

Judith Chaplin, formerly a member of the Prime Minister's political

office.

So far, there are seven prospective candidates: Julian

Davidson (Con); David Rendel (Lib. Dem.); Steve Billcliffe (Lab.); Jim

Wallis (Green); Dr Alan Sked (Anti-Federalist); Lord David Sutch

(Monster Raving Loony 30-year Party) and Colin Palmer (21st Century

Party).