PRESSURE was put on the Prime Minister yesterday to name the deeply
reluctant Mr Michael Heseltine as the next Conservative party chairman
in succession to Sir Norman Fowler.
Right-wingers are determined to head off Employment Secretary David
Hunt, thought to be Mr Major's first choice for the job, as too left
wing and too keen on Europe.
Former chairman and Home Secretary Kenneth Baker made a powerful pitch
for Mr Heseltine in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He
said: ''What is needed now is a wartime chairman.
''The person has to be in the Cabinet, he has to be in the House of
Commons. He has to be a street fighter. He has to be combative and he
has to be a drum major. The one who most fulfils that role would
certainly be Michael Heseltine.''
Mr Baker indicated he thought Mr Hunt's style was too similar to Mr
Major's for a creative partnership. ''In a way, it's a bit like the
Hollywood movie. You need a hard cop and a soft cop and the party
chairman has to be the hard cop over the next two or three years.''
He said Mr Major should have no fears about Mr Heseltine using the job
for a leadership challenge on his own behalf.
Mr Heseltine again made it clear yesterday that he prefered to remain
President of the Board of Trade and it could be difficult for the Prime
Minister to draft him against his wishes.
Scottish Secretary Ian Lang has been mentioned as a possibility.
However, with a lack of Scots Tory MPs, he is almost impossible to move.
Employment Minister Michael Forsyth, who attracted much internal
opposition as party chairman, appears an unlikely successor, while the
appointment of a peer, such as present Minister of State Lord Fraser
would provoke uproar among the Opposition parties.
The shortage of Scots Tory back benchers also makes it difficult to
promote one of the under-secretaries, although all are experienced
Ministers.
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