WIRRAL South by-election is on for February 27. School governor, ex-para and Labour veteran Monty Hughes lit the time bomb fuse when he expelled Education Minister Eric Forth from a school playground.
It marked the end of the phoney war and the start of the Wirral South by-election proper. After the controversy hit national headlines and TV over the weekend, the Government issued the by-election writ, on Monday.
Monty, aged 78, supported the press officer of Labour-controlled Wirral Council in telling dapper Mr Forth he was gatecrashing Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Labour's Shadow Education Minister David Blunkett was supporting Labour candidate Ben Chapman at a press and media conference inside the school.
Mr Forth arrived with Conservative candidate Les Byrom to do an interview in a Radio Merseyside broadcasting vehicle. Wirral Council spokeswoman Gill McMinn, who normally welcomes ministers to Wirral, told Mr Forth his visit should have been arranged in advance.
A big row broke out, the Tories claiming that Labour wanted to kill off the town's grammar schools, which Labour deny.
On Monday, the Government called the long awaited by-election caused by the death of Conservative MP Barry Porter. However, there is still some doubt it will happen if Mr Major calls a snap General Election.
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