
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 23, 1990                   TAG: 9003232214
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LONDON                                 LENGTH: Short

THATCHER'S CONSERVATIVE PARTY BEATEN IN DISTRICT BY-ELECTION

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's candidate was trounced Friday in a by-election in central England, losing the Conservative Party stronghold to an opposition socialist by a wide margin.

The result marked the Conservatives' worst rout in a special parliamentary election in 50 years and could fuel speculation that the Tories might try to dump Thatcher as leader this fall.

The Labor Party captured the prosperous Mid-Staffordshire district with a 9,449-vote majority, overturning a majority of more than 14,000 votes held by the previous Conservative Party legislator.

The result, declared early today, reflected anger among voters at soaring 15 percent interest rates and an unpopular new local government tax.

Labor candidate Sylvia Heal took 49 percent of the vote, way ahead of the 33 percent for the Conservative contender, Charles Prior.

Television networks earlier reported two exit polls conducted by Harris and National Opinion Poll as showing a swing of more than 20 percent from the government to Labor.

Conservative Party chairman Kenneth Baker called the results "disappointing."

"People are absolutely fed up with Mrs. Thatcher," declared Labor Party spokesman Jack Cunningham.

Underlining the bad news for the Tories, a British Broadcasting Corp. survey Thursday night of the four most recent opinion polls across the country showed Labor averaging a 21-point lead nationally. This was Labor's biggest lead since Thatcher won a third successive term in 1987.

by CNB