Top Minister predicts U.K. Govt will fall

Press, 27 March 1979, Page 9

Top Minister predicts U.K. Govt will fall

NZPA-Reuter London! Britain swung into a week of frenetic political activity yesterday with the growing likelihood of an early General Election. Unless the Prime Minister (Mr James Callaghan) clinches a last-minute deal with Ulster Unionists — Northern Ireland Parliamentarians — his Government is in grave danger of being toppled in a confidence vote on Wednesday night (Thursday morning N.Z. time). One senior Minister, the Home Secretary, (Mr Merlyn Rees) has already publicly predicted that the Labour Administration will be defeated. A General Election would follow — probably in May — with the Conservative Opposition leader, Margaret Thatcher, starting a firm favourite to become the first woman Prime Minister in European history. Mrs Thatcher launched her campaign at the week-end with a speech pledging income tax cuts, restraints on trade-union power, and better co-operation with the European Common Market.

A survey published by the independent “Observer” newspaper found the no-con-fidence vote was likely to be carried by 314 votes to 312.

The Government seems to have won the support of three wavering Welsh Nationalist Parliamentarians by offering compensation to Welsh quarrymen suffering from lung disease. But they need the backing of several of the 10 Ulster Unionists to survive.

Labour Party managers insisted they would not try to “buy off” the Unionists. Conservative arid Labour leaders stoked up the election fever by swapping insults. Mrs Thatcher claimed the Government was now incapable of governing. The Transport Minister (Mr William Rodgers) hit back by terming Mrs Thatcher “a one-woman disaster area for Britain.”

Latest opinion polls give the Right-wing Conservatives a double-figure lead over Labour. The Conservatives are also expected to benefit from the fall in support for the Liberal Party who captured one-fifth of the vote at the last election in 1974.