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保守党に試練の英総選挙
5月1日に行なわれるイギリスの総選挙の行方に世界の注目が集まっている。下馬評ではトニー・ブレア党首率いる労働党が、ジョン・メージャー首相の保守党を大きくリードしている。議員のスキャンダルが相次いで明るみに出ている保守党にとって、今回は文字どおり試練の選挙となりそうだ。
Upcoming British Elections Put Ruling Party To the Test
By STEVE HILL
Tony Blair will celebrate his 44th birthday May 6, probably with a party at No. 10 Downing Street ― the Prime Minister's official residence in London.
parliamentary election takes place in the United Kingdom May 1 and the head of the Labor Party is the clear favorite to become his country's new leader.
Recent opinion poll figures, commissioned by a national newspaper, show that the ruling Conservatives, led by John Major, trail their biggest rivals by 26 percentage points. The survey also reveals that 54 percent of the population is prepared to vote for Blair's party, compared to only 28 percent for the Conservatives and just 12.5 percent for the minority Liberal-Democrat Party.
If these figures are repeated in the national election, Blair's party will have a majority in the House of Commons of 289 seats ― one of the biggest margins recorded this century.
Mr. Blair, however, is taking nothing for granted. He clearly can remember the last election, in 1992, when Labor felt confident it was about to overthrow Major's government but suffered a morale-crushing defeat.
It is extremely unlikely, however, that Major will survive this time. He has been prime minister since the autocratic Margaret Thatcher was forced to resign more than six years ago, but in recent times has struggled to hold his divided party together.
A series of scandals involving Conservative MPs has also proved damaging. Only a month before the election, Sir Michael Birst, the chairman of the Scottish branch of the party, resigned after being questioned by Conservative officers about allegations of a gay affair. That news broke on the same day that a national newspaper reported a backbench MP had allegedly been cavorting with a 17-year-old night club hostess.
Meanwhile, another MP has resisted pressure to resign despite being embroiled in corruption allegations. The publicity has done little to help Major, who has been keen to focus on issues such as falling unemployment and economic growth.
Instead, he has been forced to deal constantly with allegations of sleaze, detracting from what he feels are more pressing issues for voters.
Mr. Major is widely regarded as a decent, honorable man but he has found it hard to shake off his "grey" image, of being rather unimaginative and uninspiring.
Blair, on the other hand, is seen as youthful, energetic and fresh. An Oxford University graduate, and former barrister, he has been an MP for 14 years and Labor leader since 1994. He is married to Cherie, a barrister, and the couple have two sons, aged 12 and 10, and an eight-year-old daughter.
By Japanese standards, Blair is an extremely young political leader and his youth has clearly helped his prospects. He certainly appeals to Ben Lewis, an 18-year-old student who lives near the southwestern English city of Bristol.
He was born under a Conservative, or Tory, government in 1979 and has lived his whole life under the rule of the Tories, but is now old enough to vote for the first time.
"I'll probably vote Labor or Liberal-Democrat, but definitely not Conservative," he said. "Blair seems to be very vibrant and has plenty of ideas. He's a much more interesting person than John Major and would make a good Prime Minister."
Ben feels that Mr. Blair's age is an important factor. "A lot of the Tories seem to be very old and don't appeal to me very much. It's better, from my point of view as a young person, to have a young Prime Minister."
Ben's friend John Ashman is also 18 and he, too, will be voting for the first time although he feels that age is not an important consideration when it comes to choosing a national leader.
"Tony Blair probably appeals to more younger people, but I think John Major is older and wiser," he said. "The Tories have been in power for a long time and haven't done too badly. Everything seems to be going OK."
John believes that one of the important differences between the two main parties is their attitude toward Britain's relationship with the rest of Europe.
"I don't think Britain should join the single European currency. I believe that the Tories are right to wait and see what happens. Labor are too keen to go into Europe," he said.
So there we have it ― two opinions which neatly sum up the choice facing many British voters.
Do we stay with the experience of the Conservative Party, which has ruled for the last 18 years, or is it time for a change and a new approach with the Labor Party?
The result will be known May 2.
Tony Blair will celebrate his 44th birthday May 6, probably with a party at No. 10 Downing Street ― the Prime Minister's official residence in London.
parliamentary election takes place in the United Kingdom May 1 and the head of the Labor Party is the clear favorite to become his country's new leader.
Recent opinion poll figures, commissioned by a national newspaper, show that the ruling Conservatives, led by John Major, trail their biggest rivals by 26 percentage points. The survey also reveals that 54 percent of the population is prepared to vote for Blair's party, compared to only 28 percent for the Conservatives and just 12.5 percent for the minority Liberal-Democrat Party.
If these figures are repeated in the national election, Blair's party will have a majority in the House of Commons of 289 seats ― one of the biggest margins recorded this century.
Mr. Blair, however, is taking nothing for granted. He clearly can remember the last election, in 1992, when Labor felt confident it was about to overthrow Major's government but suffered a morale-crushing defeat.
It is extremely unlikely, however, that Major will survive this time. He has been prime minister since the autocratic Margaret Thatcher was forced to resign more than six years ago, but in recent times has struggled to hold his divided party together.
A series of scandals involving Conservative MPs has also proved damaging. Only a month before the election, Sir Michael Birst, the chairman of the Scottish branch of the party, resigned after being questioned by Conservative officers about allegations of a gay affair. That news broke on the same day that a national newspaper reported a backbench MP had allegedly been cavorting with a 17-year-old night club hostess.
Meanwhile, another MP has resisted pressure to resign despite being embroiled in corruption allegations. The publicity has done little to help Major, who has been keen to focus on issues such as falling unemployment and economic growth.
Instead, he has been forced to deal constantly with allegations of sleaze, detracting from what he feels are more pressing issues for voters.
Mr. Major is widely regarded as a decent, honorable man but he has found it hard to shake off his "grey" image, of being rather unimaginative and uninspiring.
Blair, on the other hand, is seen as youthful, energetic and fresh. An Oxford University graduate, and former barrister, he has been an MP for 14 years and Labor leader since 1994. He is married to Cherie, a barrister, and the couple have two sons, aged 12 and 10, and an eight-year-old daughter.
By Japanese standards, Blair is an extremely young political leader and his youth has clearly helped his prospects. He certainly appeals to Ben Lewis, an 18-year-old student who lives near the southwestern English city of Bristol.
He was born under a Conservative, or Tory, government in 1979 and has lived his whole life under the rule of the Tories, but is now old enough to vote for the first time.
"I'll probably vote Labor or Liberal-Democrat, but definitely not Conservative," he said. "Blair seems to be very vibrant and has plenty of ideas. He's a much more interesting person than John Major and would make a good Prime Minister."
Ben feels that Mr. Blair's age is an important factor. "A lot of the Tories seem to be very old and don't appeal to me very much. It's better, from my point of view as a young person, to have a young Prime Minister."
Ben's friend John Ashman is also 18 and he, too, will be voting for the first time although he feels that age is not an important consideration when it comes to choosing a national leader.
"Tony Blair probably appeals to more younger people, but I think John Major is older and wiser," he said. "The Tories have been in power for a long time and haven't done too badly. Everything seems to be going OK."
John believes that one of the important differences between the two main parties is their attitude toward Britain's relationship with the rest of Europe.
"I don't think Britain should join the single European currency. I believe that the Tories are right to wait and see what happens. Labor are too keen to go into Europe," he said.
So there we have it ― two opinions which neatly sum up the choice facing many British voters.
Do we stay with the experience of the Conservative Party, which has ruled for the last 18 years, or is it time for a change and a new approach with the Labor Party?
The result will be known May 2.
Shukan ST: April 18, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- No.10 Downing Street
- ダウニング街10番地
- head of the Labor Party
- 労働党党首
- is the clear favorite to become 〜
- 確実に 〜 になる候補である
- opinion poll figures
- 世論調査の数字
- commissioned by 〜
- 〜 の依頼で行なった
- Conservatives
- 保守党
- trail their biggest rivals by 〜
- 〜 の差で最大のライバルを追っている
- reveals that 〜
- 〜 を明らかにする
- population
- 有権者
- vote for 〜
- 〜 に賛成票を投じる
- Liberal-Democrat Party
- 自由民主党
- House of Commons
- 下院
- margins
- 議席差
- is taking nothing for granted
- 楽勝するとは思っていない
- felt confident 〜
- 〜 に自信があった
- overthrow
- 打倒する
- suffered a morale-crushing defeat
- 志気をくじくような敗北を喫した
- It is extremely unlikely, however, that 〜
- しかし 〜 はほとんど起こりそうにない
- autocratic
- 独裁的な
- resign
- 辞任する
- has struggled to hold his divided party together
- 分裂している党をまとめるのに四苦八苦している
- MPs=Members of Parliament
- 下院議員
- (has) proved damaging
- ダメージを与えるものだった
- allegations of a gay affair
- 同性愛関係についての申し立て
- broke
- 漏れた
- backbench MP
- 平の下院議員
- had allegedly been cavorting with 〜
- 〜 と浮かれ騒いでいるといわれている
- being embroiled in corruption allegations
- 汚職の嫌疑をかけられる
- publicity has done little to help 〜
- 醜聞が知れわたったことは 〜 には何の助けにもならなかった
- has been keen to focus on issues such as 〜
- 〜 のような問題に争点を絞りたがっている
- falling unemployment
- 下がってきた失業率
- deal constantly with 〜
- 絶えず 〜 に対処する
- allegations of sleaze
- いかがわしいいろいろな疑惑
- detracting from 〜
- 〜 から注意をそらして
- what he feels are more pressing issues for voters
- 有権者にとってより差し迫った問題と彼が考えていること
- decent
- きちんとした
- shake off
- 振り払う
- uninspiring
- 退屈な
- graduate
- 卒業生
- barrister
- 法廷弁護士
- prospects
- 選挙で勝つ見込み
- Tory
- 保守党
- vibrant
- 精力的な
- point of view
- 観点
- currency
- 通貨
- neatly sum up the choice
- 選択の内容を簡潔に要約する