THE BRITISH Prime Minister, Mr John Major has again hinted that the general election will be on May 1st, and advised last week's Wirral by-election victor not to unpack his bags.
Despite an ICM poll giving Labour a commanding 18-point lead, a defiant Mr Major congratulated Mr Ben Chapman on his win before declaring: "I advise him not to unpack his bags."
The newly-elected MP was taking his Commons seat as the Tories launched a new poster campaign claiming Labour spending commitments of £30 billion. The poster - the opening shot in a campaign for which the Tories have reportedly a war chest of some £40 million - introduces "Tony and Bill", showing the Labour leader reading a bill, with the caption "30 billion spending promises" and the demand: "Who Pays?"
Political hostilities were briefly put on ice in the Commons yesterday as Mr Blair congratulated Mr Major for refusing to play the "race card" in the forthcoming election.
Mr Nick Budgen MP, successor to Mr Enoch Powell in Wolverhampton, asked Mr Major if he agreed "strict control" of immigration had been essential in reducing racial tension over thee past 18 years. But while the Prime Minister agreed there had been "extraordinary" improvements in race relations, he told Mr Budgen: "I certainly am not going to lend my voice or my policy to anything which would damage that improvement."
At the start of his twice-weekly joust with Mr Major at question time, Mr Blair told MPs: "I think the Prime Minister deserves credit for that answer.
But with that the pre-election warfare resumed, with Mr Blair taunting Mr Major about cabinet divisions over Europe and Mr Stephen Dorrell's breach of the declared government line on the single currency.
Earlier Mr Major told a radio phone-in that Mr Dorrell had made "a human mistake" on Sunday when he declared Britain would not be joining a single currency in January 1999.
Dismissing the furore over Mr Dorrell's comments as a "mistake", Mr Major insisted his government was united.
"Politicians are human," he said: "They make slips and if they happen to be in government those slips get very high publicity. We have set out a clear policy on Europe, including the single currency. The cabinet are united on that policy."
Asked by one caller if the election would take place on May 1st, Mr Major continued to tease, saying: "There's a fair expectation but I will announce it in the usual constitutional way.
Meanwhile, Labour is demanding a retraction from Mr Major after his claim that the Opposition had been touting for donations from overseas.
The row erupted after Mr Major was challenged about a claim by Lord McAlpine, the former Conservative treasurer, that Mr Major had asked him to secure a £500,000 donation from the Greek shipping tycoon, Mr John Latsis.
Mr Major told the Labour MP, Mr David Winnick: "It's an interesting concept when honourable gentlemen in this House think it's acceptable to accept money from Americans but not from those of other nationalities were they to be offered."