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Major Sets Election for May 1st

BBC News - March 17th 1997



Prime Minister John Major did the inevitable today and went to Buckingham Palace to request that the Queen dissolve Parliament. The Queen duly accepted. On the doorsteps of No. 10, Major said he's confident that Britain is "not prepared to fall back into the net of Socialism" and stated that he's "looking forward" to a "vigorous" campaign.

Brown "relieved" that the "long wait" is over

ITV News - March 17th 1997



Speaking outside a hospital in Coventry, the Labour leader expressed his approval of the election announcement. "Britain deserves better" he said, surrounded by around two dozen local Labour operatives and supporters. "The Tory government has become completely out of touch with the needs of ordinary Britons, including the great and honourable staff of this hospital."

For Mr. Brown, this electoral test has been a long time coming. Elected to parliament in 1983 and elected leader of his party in 1994, opinion polls suggest that he is liked - but perhaps not loved - by the general public.

Ashdown says that now is the moment to "change the course" of politics in Britain

Sky News - March 17th 1997



Mr. Ashdown, making a statement on the stairs of Liberal Democrat HQ, talked of a "drastic need" to "change the course of politics". His party's poll numbers have remained in the high teens for most of this parliament, with a couple of surges in 1993 after victories in the Christchurch and Newbury by-elections. Spokespeople for the Liberal Democrats say that they are targeting a net gain of 20 seats in this election, which would bring them to their highest number of seats since the days of Lloyd George.
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