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Article: Major minor. (defeats for Conservative Party candidates in local elections) (Editorial)
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- May 30, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BRITISH voters have sent a powerful message of discontent to Prime Minister John Major and his Conservative Party. But will the Tories listen? In the recent local elections, the Tories suffered a stunning setback, pulling only 27 per cent of the vote and dropping to third place behind Labour's 41 per cent and the Liberal Democrats' 28 per cent. Most commentators blame Mr. Major's lackluster leadership, or splits in the party over European integration, or a series of embarrassing scandals. Undoubtedly all these factors are partly to blame for the Tories' defeat. But it should also be recalled that during the 1992 election campaign, Mr. Major pledged not to raise taxes. It ...