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<H3>News Index</H3>
<B>March 27</B>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/piers.htm"><IMG SRC="/election97/news/0327/mer2s.jpg" WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=51 ALT="Merchant" BORDER=0></A>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/piers.htm"><B>Pressure Builds On Tory MP Merchant</B></A>
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Senior Conservatives may be on the verge of calling for Beckenham MP Piers Merchant to stand down after The Sun reported he had an affair with a 17-year-old girl.
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/ash1.htm"><IMG SRC="/election97/news/0327/ashsm2.jpg" WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=51 ALT="Ashdown" BORDER=0></A>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/ash1.htm"><B>Ashdown Urges Campaign Clean-Up </B></A>
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The Liberal Democrats' leader, Paddy Ashdown, has called for the election campaign to move away from 'sleaze' and focus on the "real issues" facing the electorate.
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/snp.htm"><IMG SRC="/election97/news/0327/salmond1.jpg" WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=51 ALT="Salmond" BORDER=0></A>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/snp.htm"><B>SNP Loses Court Bid </B></A>
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A judge dismissed an SNP bid to prevent a debate from being televised without leader Alex Salmond on the grounds that it was "hypothetical".
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/en.htm"><B>Tories launch their "green manifesto"</B></A>
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The Conservatives promise to tax companies which pollute the environment.
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/chester.htm"><B>Election Agent Makes Tactical Defection</B></A>
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A Labour election agent in the 'safe' Conservative seat of Kingston and Surbiton of has defected to the Liberal Democrats.
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/mori.htm"><IMG SRC="/election97/graphics/pollsm.gif" WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=65 ALT="Polls" BORDER=0></A>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0327/mori.htm"><B>Poll Suggests Big Labour Lead</B></A>
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The first significant poll of the campaign suggests that Labour is holding its lead.
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0326/smith.htm"><IMG SRC="/election97/news/0326/sms.jpg" WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=56 ALT="Tim Smith" BORDER=0></A>
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<A HREF="/election97/news/0326/smith.htm"><B>"Cash For Questions" MP Stands Down</B></A>
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Tim Smith, one of the MPs at the centre of the "cash for questions" row, has quit as Tory candidate for Beaconsfield.
<A HREF="/election97/news/0326/biog.htm">Profile</A>
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