Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Major faces revolt Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:19:55 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD Major faces revolt \SH Treaty may bring down government \BY Maureen Johnson \CR ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT LONDON LONDON - Confronting a party revolt over moves toward European unity, Prime Minister John Major's political life depends on two things: dire public warnings by his Cabinet ministers and discreet threats by parliamentary whips. Trade Secretary Michael Heseltine warned yesterday that a defeat for Mr. Major on tomorrow's critical vote to endorse a European union treaty would leave "a policy vacuum at the center of British decision-making of incalculable destructiveness." In particular, Mr. Major's arm-twisters warned legislators privately, defeat would gravely undermine his already weakened position. Mr. Major, once a whip himself, has staked his reputation on his Tory pack being whipped into line for the vote on the Maastricht Treaty on European Union. Ahead of the vote, the 14 governing party whips are working overtime. Their methods can be ruthless. Elizabeth Peacock, a blunt Conservative lawmaker from a north England coal region, was fired from her junior job in the administration Oct. 21. The ax fell minutes after Mrs. Peacock, 55, voted against Mr. Major's plan to close coal mines. "People like me are not prepared to be bought off," Conservative Christopher Gill, a leader of the rebels, said in a radio interview yesterday. He said as many as 36 or 37 Conservatives would vote no, up from rebel claims of 35 over the weekend. That would be more than sufficient to overturn Mr. Major's fragile 21-seat majority in the 651-member House of Commons. With Mr. Major promised support by the small Liberal Democratic Party but likely to be opposed by Welsh and Scottish nationalists, most estimates are that 32 Conservative no votes would defeat the government. The Labor Party - it has its own whips - has tried to turn it into a vote for or against the government, a tactic that may persuade some otherwise reluctant Tories to back Mr. Major. The whips' nightmare is the legislator with a stubborn streak and nothing much to lose: middle-aged, ambitions of high office long gone and certain of re-election come what may. Sometimes, said Mr. Thompson, it's just hopeless, such as in 1986 when the whips failed to stop a Conservative rebellion against a government bill to allow more shopping on Sunday. The defeat did the government no harm, but issues such as coal mine closures and European unity are different. Mr. Major did a swift U-turn and promised a review after the chief whip, Richard Ryder, warned him of certain defeat over the coal mine closure plan. Fortunately for Mr. Major, Mrs. Peacock - one of six die-hards who held out over coal - is on his side over Europe. "Whips tell you that you'll spoil your parliamentary career," Mrs. Peacock said. "But now they know I can't be bullied - and they no longer have the threat of saying 'You won't be promoted.' " This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM