YOU have never had it so good! Party 'Big Wigs', would-be MPs, newspaper, TV and radio reporters will all home in on Heswall and the Wirral South constituency, now the by-election has been called for February 27.

Grammar schools and local property prices are household issues caught up in a barrage of political crossfire, which has middle ground voters in mind.

For Wirral South is not only a dry run for the General Election, it will decide whether or not Mr Major runs a minority government.

There is speculation, too, that the Prime Minister may scuttle the by-election by going for a snap General Election on March 20.

Meanwhile, arch-rivals Les Byrom (Conservative candidate) and Ben Chapman (Labour candidate) continue to square up to each other at every opportunity.

Heswall tends to be loyal to the Conservatives, the late Barry Porter MP had a 8,000 majority.

Labour believes it can win Wirral South. Even the Deputy Prime Minister was quoted in yesterday's newspapers as saying: "There are a lot of people around who see by-elections as an opportunity to kick the Government and we would expect to see that."

But Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell, after talking to shoppers in Heswall, said his party was 'absolutely certain' to win.

Both Mr Byrom and Mr Chapman have set up campaign headquarters on the Bebington side of the constituency. The Tories on the new Croft Business Park, Bromborough, and Labour in the old Kwik Save store in New Ferry.

The Lib Dem replacement candidate Flo Clucas has a stronghold in Eastham, where there are Lib Dem councillors.

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