BRITS FIND SIMILARITY IN ELECTIONS

There are striking similarities between America's presidential campaign and the Conservative Party's close election victory last April.

That's according to two newly-elected members of the British House of Commons who visited Missouri's Eighth District this weekend with host Congressman Bill Emerson. Nicholas Hawkins and Matthew Banks are both Conservatives the party of Prime Minister John Majors.

The two answered questions about the British way of life ranging from politics to health care to the royal family from a group of about 30 area residents at the Holiday Inn Sunday afternoon.

Banks said polls taken days before the April vote indicated the Labor Party would win, but the Conservatives pulled out a victory with a slim 21-seat majority.

He said polls aren't always accurate because they are a way for people to send a signal of dissatisfaction without actually "going whole hog and kicking their candidate out of office."

In Britain, Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock suffered a credibility problem, much the same as Bill Clinton, Hawkins said. "I won because more people were prepared to trust John Majors like people ought to trust George Bush," he said.

While America might be experiencing difficulties under George Bush, Banks added: "It's not going to solve any problems for the U.S. to put a draft dodger in the White House."

He predicted George Bush would win a second term. "Personally, I'm a Conservative and I hope I'm right." Hawkins' preferences were also clear, as he sported a George Bush campaign button on his jacket.

Both British legislators also were optimistic about the future of the Conservative Party, which has held power continuously since 1979.

Hawkins said he thinks the party will regain an even greater majority in Parliament in the vote of confidence. That's despite the fact the economy has worsened, and the prospects are poor for the next 12 months, he said.

"If we are resilient during this difficult economic crisis, we can hold off an effective challenge by other parties. We must keep our nerve and act sensibly," Hawkins said.

America is certainly not alone in its economic problems, said the freshman members of Parliament. They said the currency crisis and so-called Maastricht treaty vote by France have fueled economic unrest in Europe.

"The currency situation is a mess. We're going home early for an emergency session," said Hawkins.

In an effort to "prop up" the devalued pound, the British have paid out 7.5 billion pounds, said Banks, adding, "We can't keep throwing money away."

The freshman members of parliament were split on the French vote.

Hawkins hoped the French would approve the treaty, which they did Sunday by a narrow margin. "It will make our job easier next week. A yes vote should stabilize the currency situation."

Banks had hoped the French would vote down the treaty because it would only encourage greater political integration in Europe. "I don't want to see a single European currency or see Britain lose sovereignty," he said.

Both represent tourist resorts in northwest England. Most members of Parliament 651 in all represent regions with 69,000 to 70,000 voters. Their work parallels that of U.S. Congressmen, said Banks.

The British system is without the U.S. system of checks and balances. "As a member of parliament, we don't have the teeth to check government," Hawkins said. "They have all the information and civil services stacked in their favor.

"But the advantage is that we can get on with our programs because our government has the majority," he said.

The two spoke highly of Britain's national health service. Both stressed the importance that services remain free at the point of delivery for all patients.

The challenge has been to try and control spending, said Hawkins, to ensure taxes are not wasted through more expensive medicines or duplication of services. Both also said private health care for quicker services should remain an option.

The government is trying to work out a system whereby the money can follow the patient. "If a patient can find a shorter waiting list say eight weeks instead of eight months in another part of the country, the money should be able to follow him," he said.

While Britain does have medical technology, it comes slower and is not as plentiful as the United States, said Banks.

As to recent royal scandals, both Banks and Hawkins said the money spent by Parliament for the royal family is well worth the benefits.

"I'm very pro-royalist," said Hawkins. "They actually earn a fortune for us in tourism."

In fact, the royal scandals only seem to boost the tourist trade. The two countries who send the most tourists? "The Americans and the Japanese," said Banks.

He said the royal family had been around for centuries and that he has no doubt the royal tradition will continue indefinitely.

After spending two days in Washington D.C. with Emerson, the two toured the Eighth District over the weekend, including a visit to the SEMO District Fair Saturday night. They left for Ste. Genevieve, and then to Minneapolis Sunday afternoon. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency.