P126 CEEFAX 126  Fri  6 May  21:13/25
      
     ELECTIONS
       SPECIAL    
 
  ASHDOWN: TORY FACE HAT-TRICK DEFEAT 
  The Tories' heavy council election  
  losses could bj the first of a hat- 
  trick of defeats, Liberal Democrat  
  leader Paddy Ashdown has said.      
                                      
  $hey face doing badly in the        
  European elections and losing the   
  Eastleigh by-election, hj added.    
                                      
  $his would make John Major's        
  positions "untenable", hj warned.   
                                      
  He described the LibDem performance 
  last night as "excellent" and said  
  "Wj are now an established party of 
  Government".                        
 
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