PRIME Minister Margaret Thatcher was ready to name the date of the General Election after the Tories were victorious at local level.
The Premier was expected to go to the country on June 11 in a bid to secure a hat-trick of victories.
The local elections saw Labour's hold on many authorities around the country disappear. But Liberal and SDP Alliance supporters were celebrating after a good showing at the ballot box.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article