PRIME Minister John Major named the General Election date as April 9.
He went to Buckingham Palace to get the go-ahead from the Queen to dissolve Parliament.
Mr Major acted after public urgings from Chancellor Norman Lamont, who warned that continuing uncertainty was damaging confidence and Tory re-election prospects. It would be Mr Major's first General Election as Prime Minister.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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