Tory high command puts party on election alert

DONALD MACINTYRE

Political Editor

Two senior Cabinet ministers yesterday reinforced an instruction to the Tory party to go on "election alert" with an implicit admission that John Major could yet be forced to the polls in 1996 before his government has run its full term.

Brian Mawhinney, the Conservative chairman, bluntly warned the party that there would be "no tolerance for internal argument and selfish grandstanding". His exhortation in a New Year message to activists to "think votes" and "realise that victory must be our only concern" was echoed in an even more unabashed declaration by Michael Heseltine, the Deputy Prime Minister, that the Tories would "increasingly become a fighting machine as opposed to a government administering the country".

Both ministers made clear they expected the Government to run its full course, but insisted the party would be ready whenever the election was called. Dr Mawhinney brushed aside suggestions of a summer Budget and added: "This Parliament has 16 or 17 months to run, so I work on the basis that we will go through that period of time. We will be ready to go whenever the Prime Minister calls."

Tory optimism that the Government will be allowed to run its full course was reinforced by indications that the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble - on whose support it could depend if it loses its majority - believes it is capable of surviving until 1997. Although Mr Trimble has said that ministers can no longer rely on his party's support in a confidence motion, he believes that the Government is unlikely to lose its majority until late in 1996.

John Prescott, deputy leader of the Labour Party, said: "The Tories have given up governing the country in the interests of the people. From now on they will throw everything into electioneering ."

But Labour's leadership was attacked by Austin Mitchell, the Eurosceptic Grimsby MP, who claimed that Labour risked "disastrous disappointment" by swapping a "Tory Tweedledum" for a "Labour Tweedledee" in Gordon Brown, the Shadow Chancellor. He called for a big increase in public spending.

Tory rebel John Redwood last night said that the French and German governments were planning a merger through monetary and political union to create a European superstate.

Are the parties ready? page 2