Ministers try to woo back rebels

KEY Cabinet ministers have stepped up attempts to woo back the party's whipless Tory rebels, amid signs of growing discontent on the Tory backbenches with John Major's leadership.

Eight of the nine rebels will meet the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, probably this week, to seek assurances on the protection of British border controls. The MPs are also likely to see the Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke, to discuss economic policy, although no date has been set.

Jeremy Hanley, the Conservative Party chairman, has urged the most loyal of the rebels, Nicholas Budgen, to ask for the return of the whip.

With his legislative programme for November already being attacked by Tory right-wingers, Mr Major is under mounting pressure to resolve the issue of the whipless MPs. The pressure on the Government was admitted in a speech at Newcastle yesterday, by Malcolm Rifkind, the Secretary of State for Defence.

He conceded that "none of us will be under any illusion as to the scale of the challenge that we face" if they were to win a fifth term. "We need to tackle the real concern of those who have looked after families but who find themselves being treated less favourably than those who are feckless, spendthrift and who choose to rely upon the State.''

Yesterday Sir Teddy Taylor, MP for Southend East, praised the Home Secretary's attempts to reassure them over border controls, and defended Mr Major. He indicated that the rebels were close to being satisfied about border controls, although they remain concerned about economic policy. Underlining the possibility of better relations, Sir Teddy said: "We think that, if anyone can sort this out, it is the Prime Minister. He happens to be a straight guy."

This week Mr Major will please Euro-sceptics by laying stress on the importance of the nation state, during a speech on Britain's role in the world.

David Evans, Tory MP for Welwyn Hatfield, and on the executive of the Conservative 1922 back-benchers committee, welcomed the first steps towards a rapprochement. "The Government has made its point, and the rebels have made their point. They should put their differences aside, come back into the party and start kicking in the same direction - kicking the other side where it hurts most."

Ministers are split over the tactics towards the whipless nine. Richard Ryder, the Chief Whip, is anxious they should only be offered the whip if they are certain to accept it, but there is no sign yet that MPs can be peeled off without a general offer to all.

Mr Evans was gloomy about the Government's prospects. The Tory foot-soldiers were "not sure that the board of directors (the Cabinet) are up to it".

A senior Tory backbencher prominent in the right-wing 92 group said: "If we get slaughtered in the May elections and lose the Perth by-election, and we are still 42 points behind Labour in June, the lads will start to panic. This is the danger for John Major.''

John Carlisle, MP for Luton North and a prominent critic of the Prime Minister, said that speculation at Westminster is rife. He outlined a "dream scenario" being discussed by some Tories. "This is for John Major to say it has gone on long enough, step aside and become Foreign Secretary because Douglas Hurd wants to tend sheep. Heseltine then steps in as Prime Minister, with no blood on the carpet."

However, even this would only reduce Labour's 30-plus poll lead by a tiny margin, according to a Mori opinion poll in today's Sunday Times.

Mori claims that if a general election were held now with Major as leader, the result would be: Labour 59 per cent, Tories 25 per cent, Liberal Democrats 12 per cent. With Mr Heseltine as leader, the outcome would be: Labour 58 per cent, Tories 27 per cent, Liberal Democrats 12 per cent.