FT.com has put up a special report on the run up to the budget speech on 2nd July, and
will be providing coverage on the day from the moment Gordon Brown starts speaking, with reaction and analysis by the Financial Times' specialist correspondents that evening. You can find it via a link on their home page at http://www.FT.com.
June 23rd
The membership of the Shadow Cabinet was finalised over the weekend. Kenneth Clarke has made it clear that he wishes to remain on the backbenches, and it seems that he intends to continue his battle with the 'euro-sceptics'.
June 19th
The result of the final round of voting is announced. William Hague is elected leader by a majority of 22 votes over Ken Clarke, despite the fact that the latter, once again, had overwhelming support among the party generally. The Redwood/Clarke alliance seemed to be unpopular with many MPs, and Mrs Thatcher's endorsement of William Hague was no doubt influential.
In the High Court, Gerry Malone (Tory Minister narrowly defeated in Winchester by 2 votes) succeeded in a bid to have 57 rejected ballot papers scrutinised by the Court. The Court will rule on the issue at a future hearing.
June 17th
The second ballot in the Conservative Leadership election is held (see results page). Ken Clarke again come out on top, but only by a very narrow margin. John Redwood comes third, and now drops out. The final round of voting is on Thursday 19th June.
June 16th
The Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport merged to form the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
June 10th
The result of the first round of voting in the election for Conservative Party Leader is declared. Ken Clarke comes top by a fairly small margin (but wins the overwhelming support of the party officers in the prior consultation process). John Redwood comes third. Peter Lilley and Michael Howard announce their intention to support second-placed William Hague.
June 4th
Stepehn Dorrell has withdrawn from the Conservative Party leadership
race. Please see the leadership news page for more information.
Jack Cunningham, the Secretary of State for Agriculture, has said that
Britain may ban foreign beef imports. The E.U. said this would be illegal,
but the British Government said that British beef was safer than that being
imported from abroad.
June 2nd
The Conservative chief whip, Alistair Goodlad, has reacted with anger to
Labour's plan to limit debate on its devolution policies.
17th-18th May
Labour MP accused of election fraud
Labour have said they cannot comment on allegations made by the News of
the World that the new Glasgow Govan M.P. bribed another candidate to "lay
off the canvassing". Labour have said they will investigate the matter
fully, but that they cannot comment until they have spoken to the new M.P..
If he is found guilty of trying to bribe another candidate, he could lose
his seat.
Hague promises vote for all members
William Hague has said that he will call a special conference to reaffirm
his election as leader if the Conservative M.P.s vote for him as the leader
of the Conservative Party. The conference will be attended by Conservative
members, and the announcement follows concern that many Conseravtive members
will be left out of the process.
Stephen Dorrell agreed, but said that the
Conservatives shouldn't rush into anything. He added that if he was elected
as the leader, he would call a review to modernise the present system.
Tobacco Advertising
Labour's Health Minister, Tessa Jowell, has confirmed that tobacco
advertising is to be banned. The measure, proposed in the Queen's Speech, is
"something that this Government is fully committed to" said Jowell.
8th May
Conservative M.P. dies
The Conservative M.P. for Uxbridge, Sir Michael Shersby has died, just a week after the
election. He had a small majority of 724, and it is expected that some of the
losing Tories may stand in the by-election which will be caused. It is up to
the new Government to call the date of the by-election, which is likely to
be after the Conservative leadership contest.
Sir Michael Shersby (C) 18095 (43.56%)
David Williams (L) 17371 (41.81%)
Andrew Malyan (LD) 4528 (10.90%)
Garrick Aird (Ref) 1153 (2.78%)
Julia Leonard (Soc) 398 (0.96%)
C Maj 724, Turnout 72.26%.
1992: C Maj 12368 (27.39%).
Six leadership contenders
It is likely that all there will be no more contenders announcing that
they will stand for the Conservative Party leadership. That means that the
final list is, Michael Howard, William Hague, Stephen Dorrell, John Redwood,
Peter Lilley and Ken Clarke.
Archer issues leadership warning
Lord Archer, the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party has
said that he believe the Conseravtive Party membership should have more of a
role in future Conservative Party election contests. He argued that
although it was too late to change the results of this contest, the
membership should be made to feel more included in the process in the
future.
Blair meets all his new M.P.s
Yesterday, Tony Blair met all his 418 Labour M.P.s for the first time, and
warned them that they "were not the masters, we are the servants of the
people". Later on, the House of Commons met for the first time under this
Government, with John Major taking a place on the opposition benches for his
first time.
BP Chairman takes senior Labour position
Sir David Simon has been appointed Minister for Trade and Competitiveness
in Europe, taking a salary cut of 874,000 pounds a year. Sir David Simon,
who was head of British Petroleum, will take his seat in the Lords, and will
take the Labour whip.
5th May
Britain to join the European Social Chapter
Robin Cook has announced that Labour is planning to join the European
Social Chapter as soon as possible. Some Conservatives have attacked the
move as a step towards political union, but Lord Howe, formerly the
Conservative Chancellor said that he welcomed the move. Howe argued that it
showed Britain's European partners that we wished to see co-operation and
partnership.
Chris Patten rules himself out for Tory leadership
Chris Patten has said that he does not plan to challenge for the
leadership of the Conservative Party. The former Conservative Party
Chairman, who has been the Governor of Hong Kong since 1992, had earlier
been asked to stand by a Conservative Member of Parliament. Robin Cook, the
new Foreign Secretary confirmed that Patten will stay as Governor until the
hand-over on the 30th June. Cook said that "I have full confidence in Chris
Patten". The confirmed contenders for the leadership are still only Peter Lilley and Ken Clarke,
but John Redwood, Stephen Dorrell, William Hague and Gillian Shepherd are all
likely to announce that they plan to stand.
Elgin Marbles to stay in British Museum
Chris Smith, the new National Heritage Secretary, has announced that the
Elgin Marbles will not be returned to Greece. The Greek Government had
requested that the new Labour Government should return them as soon as
possible. The move may anger may Labour M.E.P.s, who in 1996 signed a letter
supporting the Greek Government's claim to the Elgin Marbles. The Labour
policy is a change from the one taken by Neil Kinnock when he was Leader of
the Labour Party. Kinnock said that if he became Prime Minister, he would
return the Elgin Marbles to the Greek Government.
Blair's new Ministers
Tony Blair has continued announcing more members of his Ministerial team,
and the latest details are available here.
Mandelson gets key role
Peter Mandelson, Labour's chief spindoctor has had a new post created for
him, as the new Minister without portfolio. He will work from the Cabinet
Office, and will be responsible for presenting Government policies to the
public. The role is an important one, and Mandelson will retain close links
to the new Prime Minister. Mandelson will also be involved in policy
formation, and is not limited to any one Government department.
Blunkett settles in to his new Department
David Blunkett, Britain's first blind Cabinet Minister, has started to
settle into his new job as Education and Employment Secretary. One problem
has emerged, his braille briefing sheets are too large to fit into the red
dispatch boxes. Blunkett said, "I look forwards to over-coming these
problems, and I see no reason why I cannot deal with the department in the
normal way."
It has been reported that the Eurpean Union has decided not to take the
British Government to court. The new Labour Government wanted to cut V.A.T.
on fuel to 5%, from 8%, but the E.U. argued it was against the spirit of the
law.
Brown in EU
Gordon Brown, the new Chancellor, today went to the European Union to
discuss the future of Britain in Europe.
10th-11th May
Fight for Tory leadership
The fight for the Tory leadership continues, but no new candidates have
announced that they plan to stand. All of the six candidates have been
announcing how they plan to unite the party, and lead the Conservatives to
an election victory at the next General Election.
Howard's leadership chances fall
Ann Widdecombe has damaged Michael Howard's leadership hopes after
announcing that she might write to John Major about his performance as Home
Secretary. Widdecombe made a series of strong attacks on Howard, and Howard
admitted that they hadn't seen eye to eye on the dismissal of Derek Lewis,
the Prisons Minister.
9th May
Bill Cash might contest leadership
There are rumours today that Bill Cash might join the six candidates who
have already declared themselves to contest the Conservative Party
Leadership. Cash is reported to have said that none of them have given a
clear position on Europe, and his friends believe he might enter the
contest. The six candidates so far are John Redwood, Peter Lilley, William
Hague, Ken Clarke, Michael Howard and Stephen Dorrell.
Reforms to PMQT
Tony Blair has announced that there will be changes to the structure of
Prime Minister's Question Time. Instead of two fifteen minute sessions on
Tuesday and Thursday, there will now be one half an hour session on
Wednesday. The practice of M.P.s asking the Prime Minister to list his
earlier engagements has also been scrapped. The changes will apply
immediately, and are part of Blair's plans to modernise the political
process.
By-election hope for Tories
After the death of the Conservative M.P., Sir Michael Shersby yesterday,
it is thought that some former Cabinet Ministers who lost their seats might
try and be selected as the new candidate. Michael Portillo, who lost the
nearby Enfield Southgate last week, is thought to be a strong contender.
New Science Cabinet Minister confirmed
Margaret Beckett, the President of the Board of Trade, has been confirmed
as the new Cabinet Minister who has responsibility for science and
technology.
Jack Straw announces new plans for accountability
Jack Straw has announced that Ministers will in future answer all
questions related to the Prison Service. Under Michael Howard, the
responsibility for answering questions was given to the Head of the Prison
Service, who wasn't an MP, and was appointed by the Home Secretary. Jack
Straw claimed that this would improve accountability in hte prison service.
Labour's plans for the Queen Speech
Labour have announced some of their plans for the first year of the
Parliament, which will be formally announced by the Queen at the Queen's
Speech next week. They include a number of education bills, to end the
assisted places scheme, and to bring about what Labour terms as "an increase
in education standards". There will also be progress made on a Scottish
Parliament and a Welsh Assembly, the introduction of a minimum wage, the
reform of the National Health Service internal market, and a new welfare
programme.
Labour push ahead with the PFI reforms
7th May
Two more leadership contest entrants
Two more entrants have entered the leadership contest for the
Conservative Party. Stephen Dorrell and William Hague both announced that
they planned to stand and unite the party. That means there are six
entrants so far, with no more expected, for the leadership. Ken Clarke, the
Chancellor, Michael Howard, the former Home Secretary, Stephen Dorrell, the
former Health Secretary, William Hague, the former Welsh Secretary, Peter
Lilley, the former Social Security Secretary, and John Redwood, the former
Welsh Secretary.
Shepherd gives support to Lilley
Gillian Shepherd, the former Education and Employment Secretary, has said
that she supports Peter Lilley's bid for the leadership. She commended his
loyalty and clear-thinking.
Hague drops out of agreement
Michael Howard confirmed that William Hague was to stand as his deputy in
the leadership election, but dropped out to launch his own bid. William
Hague has yet to comment on the deal, but Michael Howard said he was
disappointed that the agreement that was reached on Sunday night was dropped
by William Hague the next morning.
Lord Sutch's mother dies
Annie Sutch, the mother of Lord Sutch, has died at the age of 80. Annie
Sutch encouraged her son to stand for Parliament, and she helped him in
designing the bright clothes he won. Lord (David) Sutch was going to contest
John Major's Huntingdon seat earlier this month until he pulled out to be
with his mother.
Blair finishes forming his first Government
Tony Blair has finished forming his first Ministerial team, and the list
is available here.
Chancellor's Statement
See yesterday's news for details of Gordon Brown's first changes at the
Treasury. The Treasury statement is now available here.
The letter from the Chancellor to the Governor of the Bank of England is
available here.
Success for Royal Web-Site
The Royal Web site has been accessed over 12.5 million times in the two
months which it has been open. The pages are being increased in size because
of the extra demand, and the Palace have said that they are very pleased
with the 50,000 people who have signed the Visitor's Book.
6th May
John Redwood is to stand for leadership election
John Redwood has confirmed that he is to stand for the Conservative Party
leadership elections for the second time. The first was when he contested
John Major in 1995 when he was Welsh Secretary. Redwood said that he could
unite the party, and fight Tony Blair on the centre-ground. He also said
that Ken Clarke had a great deal to offer, and would form a major part in
his Cabinet.
Michael Howard announces he will stand for leadership election
At a press conference this morning, Michael Howard, the former Home
Secretary, announced that he will stand for the leadership of the
Conservative Party. Howard said that he has a proven record in Government,
and could lead to the Conservatives to an election victory within five
years. This means that the declared candidates so far are Peter Lilley, Ken
Clarke, Michael Howard and John Redwood.
Labour hit problems over V.A.T. cuts
Labour's proposals to cut V.A.T. on domestic fuel have been condemned by
the European Union for being "against the spirit of the regulations" and
have refused to rule out legal action. Labour said that their manifesto
promised that V.A.T. would be cut, and they planned to press ahead as
normal.
Blair's new Ministers
Tony Blair has continued announcing more members of his Ministerial team,
and the latest details are available here. This is
Blair's last day at forming his new Government, and it is also his birthday.
Shock Resignation
Derek Foster has resigned from the Government, just days after being made a
Minister. The BBC reported that it was because Tony Blair broke a promise on
promoting him to the Cabinet. Foster is thought to be running for the
position of Deputy Speaker.
Tony Banks gets shock promotion
Tony Banks, the maverick Labour M.P., has been given the position as
Minister of Sport. Banks said that when he received the call, he thought it
was his friend Rory Bremner pretending to be Tony Blair, and he said he
nearly told him rudely where to go. Banks has said that he is thrilled to be
given the position.
Conservative Leadership Election
Brian Mawhinney, the Conservative Party Chairman, has said that the
leadership election will be completed by the end of June. John Major will
this week announce his temporary Shadow Cabinet.
Brown meets Bank of England Chief
Gordon Brown, the new Chancellor, this morning met the Chairman of the
Bank of England, Eddie George. Brown increased interest rates by one quarter
of one percent, and two building societies increased their mortgage rates.
In a shock move, Brown also gave the Bank of England the power to make
future interest rates decisions. The Bank of England is likely to put
interest rates up too much the former Chancellor Ken Clarke said, and
criticised the move.
5th May
Britain to join the European Social Chapter
Robin Cook has announced that Labour is planning to join the European
Social Chapter as soon as possible. Some Conservatives have attacked the
move as a step towards political union, but Lord Howe, formerly the
Conservative Chancellor said that he welcomed the move. Howe argued that it
showed Britain's European partners that we wished to see co-operation and
partnership. Stephen Dorrell has said that the move is unnecessary, and
likely to damage Britain's economy.
Chris Patten rules himself out for Tory leadership
Chris Patten has said that he does not plan to challenge for the
leadership of the Conservative Party. The former Conservative Party
Chairman, who has been the Governor of Hong Kong since 1992, had earlier
been asked to stand by a Conservative Member of Parliament. Robin Cook, the
new Foreign Secretary confirmed that Patten will stay as Governor until the
hand-over on the 30th June. Cook said that "I have full confidence in Chris
Patten". The confirmed contenders for the leadership are still only Peter Lilley and Ken Clarke,
but John Redwood, Stephen Dorrell, William Hague and Gillian Shepherd are all
likely to announce that they plan to stand.
Elgin Marbles to stay in British Museum
Chris Smith, the new National Heritage Secretary, has announced that the
Elgin Marbles will not be returned to Greece. The Greek Government had
requested that the new Labour Government should return them as soon as
possible. The move may anger may Labour M.E.P.s, who in 1996 signed a letter
supporting the Greek Government's claim to the Elgin Marbles. The Labour
policy is a change from the one taken by Neil Kinnock when he was Leader of
the Labour Party. Kinnock said that if he became Prime Minister, he would
return the Elgin Marbles to the Greek Government. The British Museum has a
web-page.
Blair's new Ministers
Tony Blair has continued announcing more members of his Ministerial team,
and the latest details are available here.
Mandelson gets key role
Peter Mandelson, Labour's chief spindoctor has had a new post created for
him, as the new Minister without portfolio. He will work from the Cabinet
Office, and will be responsible for presenting Government policies to the
public. The role is an important one, and Mandelson will retain close links
to the new Prime Minister. Mandelson will also be involved in policy
formation, and is not limited to any one Government department.
Blunkett settles in to his new Department
David Blunkett, Britain's first blind Cabinet Minister, has started to
settle into his new job as Education and Employment Secretary. One problem
has emerged, his braille briefing sheets are too large to fit into the red
dispatch boxes. Blunkett said, "I look forwards to over-coming these
problems, and I see no reason why I cannot deal with the department in the
normal way."
4th May
Michael Portillo, the former Defence Secretary who lost his seat in the
landslide Labour victory, has said that he now intends to "get a life".
Michael Heseltine has been rushed into hospital, with heart problems. The
condition is not serious, and reports that he had had a heart attack have
been denied. He has however ruled himself out of the leadership election.
His wife said he was "bored rigid reading a book".
Peter Lilley, writing in the Mail on Sunday, has said he will contest the
Conservative leadership election.
Tony Blair will announce more details of his junior Ministers today. It
has been reported that John Major will name his temporary Shadow Cabinet
early next week. Details of Blair's new Cabinet, and the Ministers announced
so far are available here.
It has been reported that Robin Cook, the new Foreign Secretary, has
clashed with Tony Blair, the new Prime Minister, over Blair's plan to
appoint Sir David Simon (Chairman of B.P.) as the Minister for Europe. It
would have meant giving Simon a place in the Lords. David Simon has been
consistenly pro-European, and has said he supports a single currency, and
Robin Cook is reported to have opposed such a pro-European move by Tony
Blair.
John Redwood has said that he is seriously thinking about standing for
the Conservative Party leadership. He said, "I am asking myself serious
questions, and will consult with other people before making a final
decision". Stephen Dorrell has also said is is seriously considering
standing.
Tony Blair has confirmed that his family is to live in 11 Downing Street,
the home of the Chancellor. Blair, who has three children, has decided that
10 Downing Street's flat is not large enough, and has decided to move into
the more spacious quarters above 11 Downing Street. Gordon Brown, who is
single, is to live in the 10 Downing Street flat
3rd May
Tony Blair will today start to announce the rest of his new Cabinet team,
and they will meet with the Queen later today. Details of the new Labour
Cabinet are available here. Short biographies of
some of the Cabinet positions are being made available on the same page.
Tony Blair's Cabinet contains the most female members (five) in history.
This is in addition to the record numbers of women M.P.s elected to the
House of Commons, up from 62 to 120. Angela and Maria Eagle have become the
first sisters, and twins, to entr the House of Commons. The youngest Member
of Parliament is also female, 24 year old Claire Ward.
Chancellor Kohl of Germany, and President Clinton, have both given their
best wishes to Tony Blair. Chancellor Kohl said that Europe could now move
forwards, whilst Bill Clinton thanked John Major for his brave approach to
the Northern Ireland problem over the last few years. The Argentine Prime
Minister also welcomed the Labour Government, saying it would be more
co-operative over the matter of the Falkland Islands.
The battle for the Conservative leadership has begun, after John Major's
resignation yesterday. William Hague, Peter Lilley, Michael Heseltine,
Michael Howard, Stephen Dorrell and John Redwood are all possible
contenders.
The local election results, held on the same day as the General Election,
have brought some cheer to the Conservatives, with several county councils
now returning to Conservative control.
2nd May
Tony Blair officially became Prime Minister when he went to see the
Queen today. Just hours before, John Major resigned as leader of the
Conservative Party after over six years in charge. Ken Clarke announced thathe intended to stand for the Conservative Party leadership. John Major said
"When the curtain falls it is time to get off the stage, and that is what I
propose to do". It is the end of eighteen years of Conservative Government.
Further details about Major's resignation are available, including his resignation speech.
Blair announced that Gordon Brown is to be Chancellor, Robin Cook is to
be the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw the Home Secretary, David Blunkett the
Education and Employment Secretary, Margaret Beckett the Trade and Industry
Secretary, and John Prescott the Deputy Prime Minister.
Labour have won a landslide victory, with their largest ever majority,
and with the worst Conservative result for over a century and a half. Their
majority is 177, and they have gained 146 seats, with the Tories losing 178
seats, leaving them with just 165.
The following Cabinet Ministers have lost their seat, Michael Portillo,
Ian Lang, Michael Forsyth, Malcolm Rifkind, William Waldegrave, Tony Newton
and Roger Freeman.
This is a record defeat for the Conservatives, who now have no M.P.s in
Wales or Scotland, have lost a record amount of Cabinet Ministers, and have
lost over half their M.P.s. John Major called it a "very bad loss", Tony
Blair called it "a new start for Britain".
The Liberal Democrats have also obtained the highest third party
representation in the House of Commons for 75 years, under Paddy Ashdown.
They obtained 46 Members.
The results for each constituency are available on the MPs page.
1st May
General Election day , with the polls open from 7 am to 10 pm. The results
will come in overnight for either a fifth Conservative Government, or the
first newly elected Labour Government for 23 years. The new Parliament will
meet on May 7th, and the State Opening of Parliament will be on May 14th.
May 1st also sees local elections for many county councils, with the
Conservatives hoping for an improved performance. The results of the local
elections will be counted after the General Election results, expected to be
around afternoon on May 2nd.
The polls bring some cheer to both sides. The ICM poll, which showed just
a 5% lead for Labour last week, has shown an increased Labour lead of 10%.
The Gallup poll however has shown a late narrowing of the gap, the smallest
gap since the election date was announced (see polls page).
30th April
EU Commissioner says Britain could be excluded from the proposed G3 if it remained outside the single currency.
28th April
Sunday newspapers declare their party allegiances over the weekend.
27th April
Weekend polls give little encouragement to the Conservatives. Reports suggest that, privately, they have now accepted they will not win.
The News of the World announces its support for Labour, while the Independent on Sunday and The Observer advocate tactical voting to ensure the defeat of the Conservatives. The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph support the Conservatives.
26th April
In the wake of a series of IRA threats, the government announces security measures for polling day.
Channel 4 refuses to show the
BNP broadcast, while the other TV channels show it in slightly differing forms, each having insisted on the removal of various short sequences.
25th April
Labour accuse Tories of wanting to abolish state pensions and impose VAT on food. Conservatives deny this completely and accuse Labour of lying, challenging them to withdraw the accusation.
New economic statistics show that the economy is growing by 3%pa.
Labour launches its new party colour. The traditional red associated with socialism gives way to purple. Some will see this move towards the blue end of the spectrum as reflecting a corresponding shift in policy.
24th April
New polls fail to confirm yesterday's ICM poll, which is increasingly being seen as a 'rogue' result.
The Conservatives make public the contents of a Labour Party "war book" that sets out a stratgey for attacking the Conservatives on a series of key issues. A Labour spokesman confirms the authenticity of the document and that some of the contents would not be put into practice because "people would not believe them" (quoted in The Telegraph).
Labour promises to reduce VAT on fuel before next winter, and also to spend £1 billion of lottery money on health and education.
The ProLife Alliance loses its legal attempt to overturn the TV ban on its election broadcast. The programme will now be screened in a censored version.
23rd April
An ICM poll for The Guardian suggests that Labour's lead is down to 5% (for details, see polls page). Polls also suggest that the Conservatives are in the lead on the issue of managing the economy.
Labour's Deputy Leader, John Prescott, appears to support union demands for the railway network to be taken back into public ownership. George Robertson, Labour's Scottish spokesman tells the Scottish TUC that Labour would not accede to their unrealistic demands.
The main television channels refuse to allow the ProLife Alliance's election broadcast to be shown, on the ground that pictures of aborted foetuses would be offensive.
22nd April
The President of the European Commission makes a speech in Amsterdam in which he attacks Euro-sceptics and warns that there is no stopping further integration.
Officials in Brussels warn that Labours' promise to reduce VAT on fuel may be challenged by the European Commission
John Edmonds, leader of the GMB, reveals that he had come under pressure not to attend the Scottish TUC in order not to embarrass the Labour Party. Edmonds attacks Labour's intention of holding to the Conservative government's spending limits.
Essex Firemen call further strikes.
21st April
Policy issues once again become marginalised: several areas in London become paralysed by IRA bomb threats.
Scottish TUC supports striking Essex firemen.
231 Conservative candidates have now pledged their opposition to a single currency, in return for financial help from Paul Sykes, a Yorkshire multi-millionaire.
20th April
The weekend opinion polls suggest a reduced lead for Labour, down to 14%. On the basis of local election results, Rallings and Thrasher suggest that Labour have a lead of 13%.
Constituency poll puts Martin Bell 11% ahead of Neil Hamilton.
Labour makes an official complaint to the BBC over its coverage of the Labour campaign.
19th April
The Referendum Party issues a parody of the controversial Conservative poster, showing both party leaders as puppets of Chancellor Kohl.
Enoch Powell expresses support for Nicholas Budgen, and urges people to vote
Conservative.
18th April
A new Conservative Party poster pursues the EU theme by depicting Tony Blair as a puppet in Chancellor Kohl's hands.
A poll by MORI for ITN suggest that John Major's offer to MPs of a free vote in Parliament on the single currency has overwhelming support: 81% of people thought it was the right course of action.
Inflation is down to 2.7%
Screaming Lord Sutch announces that he will not stand in the election.
17th April
John Major hints that Conservative MPs may be allowed a free vote on the single currency issue.
The Liberal Democrats appear to have blocked the proposed Times debate by threatening legal action.
The BNP has qualified for a five-minute elction broadcast by fielding more than 50 candidates in the election.
16th April
The Prime Minister reprimands two junior ministers for apparently deviating from Government policy over the EU, although he refuses to sack them. He offers a strong justification for the Government's 'wait and see' policy.
After legal objections, Martin Bell decides to stand as an Independent candidate for Tatton, dropping the 'anti-corruption' label.
15th April
The Referendum Party releases a list of 93 constituencies that will not be contested.
13th April
Labour's Deputy Leader, John Prescott, is reported as saying that he could not tell the truth all the time, for fear of giving ammunition to the Conservatives.
An NOP poll suggests that interest in the campaign is low: only 26% found it at all interesting, 30% thought it was not very interesting, while 38% decribed it as "a turn-off".
13th April
Conservative agent for Lincoln resigns after The Observer revealed that it had recorded a conversation in which he offered to pay the £150 deposit for the Green Party candidate, in an attempt to split the Labour vote in the constituency.
The headmaster of the school attended by Tony Blair's son criticises Labour's policy on education.
12th April
Essex firemen vote for strike action during the last phase of the campaign.
A number of business leaders endorse Labour after the launch of the party's 'Business Manifesto' yesterday.
Labour attempts to exploit the fact that Conservative candidates, apart from those who are ministers, are free to expound their own views on the EU in their election literature. Agriculture minister, Angela Browning, is accused by Labour of breaking with government policy in opposing the transfer of reserves to the European Central Bank, but John Major claims she supports current government policy, and that issues relating to the transfer of reserves have yet to be negotiated.
9th April
Neil Hamilton selected as Tory candidate for Tatton.
Council of Churches publishes a report Unemployment and the Future of Work, in which politicians are criticised for pandering to the 'contented majority'.
Sir James Goldsmith launches the Referendum Party campaign in Cornwall, where there is considerable resentment over EU fishing policies.
The Field publishes a hit list of 72 MPs who are thought to be against hunting and urges it followers to oppose them.
8th April
Neil Hamilton re-affirms his intention to stand in the election.
Uncertainty arises over Labour Party policy on privatisation after Tony Blair stated that he did not rule out selling the Air Traffic Service, despite a very firm pledge at the last party conference that this would not be done.
The Telegraph Gallup reports that only two thirds of eligible electors say that they will definitely vote on May 1st.
7th April
BBC reporter Martin Bell emerges as the "anti-sleaze" candidate to oppose Neil Hamilton in Tatton. The Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates have agreed not to oppose Mr Bell, so long as Neil Hamilton remains a candidate.
6th April
Reports circulate that the Labour Party is about to reverse its policies on privatisation and trades union power.
ICM poll suggests that an "anti-sleaze" candidate in Tatton would unseat Neil Hamilton.
5th April
Row over Tony Blair's comparison between the taxing power of the proposed Scottish Parliament and that of an English parish council.
Local constituency association treasurer and two local councillors re-ignite the sleaze issue by calling for Neil Hamilton to step down. A vote is expected to be held on Tuesday.
4th April
Liberal Democrat manifesto is launched.
3rd April Labour Party manifesto is launched.
2nd April
Conservatives launch election manifesto
The 'sleaze' issue seems to fade somehwat after John Major makes it clear that MPs who have the backing of their local associations have the right to stand again. However, Labour and the Libdems are attempting to put up a joint 'anti-sleaze' candidate against Neil Hamilton.
31st March
Neil Hamilton comes under increasing pressure to step down.
30th March
Conservative Party Chairman in Scotland resigns after allegations in a Scottish newspaper about the Chairman's private life.
MP for Beckenham receives overwhelming support from his constituency Executive
28th March
The Labour Party pulls out of negotiations over TV debate between the party leaders. The Conservatives accept the formats proposed by both ITV and the BBC.
MP for Beckenham continues to be under pressure to stand down over sex allegations, despite local support.
27th March
The "sleaze" issue comes to the fore again, as one Tory MP involved in the allegations over payment for questions decides to stand down, and another is involved in controversy over sex allegations, which he denies.
24th March
Reports indicate that the Labour manifesto is likely to include a proposal to force firms to recognise unions by law, where these are supported by a majority of the workforce.
21st March
Heated exchanges between the main parties continued, following the publication of an interim report by the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee. The report clears 15 MPs of failing to declare payments from a lobbyist. However the Committee did not reach a conclusion on the allegations against a further 10 Conservative MPs. The Opposition is demanding that the prorogation of Parliament be delayed so that the Committee may finish its work.
20th March
The SUN newspaper decides to support Labour.
19th March
The unemployed figures show a 68,000 fall, bringing the total down to 1.7
million, the lowest for seven years. The Conservatives hailed this as a
great triumph, and said it reaffirmed that the economy was strong in their
hands. The Labour Party snubbed the figures, claiming they were fixed, and
the Liberal Democrats gave the figures a cautious welcome. British Steel
however announced that 10,000 jobs may have to go over the next five years
because of the strengthening value of the pound.
Malcolm Rifkind, the Foreign Secretary, has warned that a European single
currency might "Divide the European Union for a generation". The speech was
one of the strongest attacks yet that a senior Cabinet Minister has made on
the policy of the single currency.
17th March
John Major goes to the Palace to seek a dissolution. The election is announced for 1st May, as expected.
16th March
Brian Mawhinney has confirmed that John Major is willing to take part in a
live television debate between himself and the Labour leader, Tony Blair.
Mawhinney, the Conservative Party Chairman, also added that he did not
expect Paddy Ashdown to take part as "it would be a choice of two future
that was being debated, not three". Paddy Ashdown has said he is taking
legal advice on the situation, as he has confirmed he is also willing to
take part in a TV debate.
10th March
The primary school league tables have been published, and all the main three
parties have been saying how well the councils they control have performed.
John Major said that it was thanks to the Conservatives that standards could
be measured, Tony Blair pledged an end to ideology in education, and Paddy
Ashdown said that more money needed to be injected into education.
Kenneth Clarke has denied Labour rumours that he intends to put V.A.T. on
heating fuel upto 17.5% from 8%. Clarke also reaffirmed that the
Conservatives have no intention of putting V.A.T. on food, but Labour argued
that the Conservatives could not be trusted.
Cardinal Basil Hume has said that he expects abortion to be an election
issue, and he has urged voters to question all the candidates on their
opinions on abortion. The pro-life alliance are already committed to
fighting over 50 seats, enough to get them a party political broadcast, and
have welcomed the comments.
9th March
Alan Howarth, the Conservative Member of Parliament who defected to Labour
in 1995, is having difficulties finding a new seat.
8th March
Sir George Gardiner, who was deselected by his local Conservative
Association, has defected to the Referendum Party until the election. This
means that the Government now has a minority of three in the House of
Commons.
7th March
Michael Forsyth, the Scottish Secretary, denied that he was upset at the
performance of his fellow Cabinet Minister, Douglas Hogg. The allegations
were also rejected by the Prime Minister, John Major.>
6th March
In an interview with Jeremy Paxman, John Major said he still believed he
would win the General Election, but expected a tough fight ahead. He also
said he regretted Britain's forced exit from the E.R.M., and said "events
made a monkey of us". He added that membership had helped bring about low
inflation, and said that Britain had one of the best economic positions it
had enjoyed for a long time.
27th February
The Conservatives have lost the Wirral South by-election to Labour in a
larger defeat than expected. Further details are available here.
25th February
The Conservatives have announced plans to privatise the London Underground.
Labour have opposed the plans, but the Conservatives argue that the
Government's spending plans assume privatisation will take place, leaving a
hole in Labour's spending committments.
24th February
Former Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, has appeared to undermine three key Conservative policies. In a TV interview, he
supported the idea of a national minimum wage,
suggested that the Social Chapter will not adversely affect employment, and
supported a Scottish Assembly.
22nd February
David Bellamy, the well-known broadcaster and naturalist, has today been confirmed as the Referendum Party's candidate
in John Major's constituency of Huntingdon. David Bellamy is 63 and will try
to reduce John Major's majority of 36,230, already reduced by boundary
changes.
18th February
George Gardiner MP has failed in his legal attempt to stop Reigate Conservative
Association from choosing another candidate. Gardiner was deselected by the
Association last month, after disloyalty to the Party leadership.
17th February
Labour fails to defeat the Government on a motion of censure. This makes 1st May still the most likely date for the General Election.
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