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).
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