Free marketeers won enough votes for the State Duma, or lower house, to deny total control to the Communists and their allies.International observers said the poll was fair, although there will be deep suspicion over Defence Ministry claims that most of the armed forces voted for the government-sponsored Our Home Is Russia party.With nearly half the votes counted, the Communist Party had 21.9 per cent. Second were the ultra-nationalists of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, whose 11.1 per cent showing was poorer than the landslide vote they received in 1993, but better than most predictions.Western markets, investors and diplomats reacted calmly to the long-predicted Communist victory. Some ministers are arguing that a future Tory prime minister should follow the example of Harold Wilson in 1975 and allow his Cabinet colleagues the freedom to campaign according to their personal beliefs in any referendum. But the argument pressed privately on Mr Major by Mr Hurd, when foreign secretary, was that he should insist that, once having taken a decision to join EMU, the whole Cabinet would have to unite behind the policy or resign. Tony Blair, the Labour leader, has already made it clear that he would insist on a a united Cabinet if, as prime minister, he called a referendum on a single currency.. PHIL REEVES

and HELEN WOMACK
MoscowDespite the memory of 70 years of Soviet tyranny, Russians have ushered the Communist Party back into the centre of national politics and put renewed pressure on Boris Yeltsin to restrain Russia’s headlong dash towards free-market reforms.The beleaguered Mr Yeltsin, still recovering from a heart attack, will today meet his Prime Minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin, to discuss the government’s strategy amid growing speculation that it will include finally sacrificing his pro-Western Foreign Minister, Andrei Kozyrev.Although the result reflected the anger of millions impoverished by the first stages of reform, it fell short of overwhelming victory.

Kenneth Clarke, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has indicated that he would not push to the point of resignation his strong opposition to a plebiscite. But Eurosceptic Cabinet members are split with Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, in favour andMich ael Portillo, Secretary of State for Defence, strongly opposed. The Liberal Democrats – albeit with low expectations of victory – and the Scottish Nationalists will support Labour and the Ulster Unionists will decide their stance later today. Seventeen Tories last night underlined the prospect of a rebellion by signing an amendment calling for withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy. But the party is far from confident of defeating the Government – partly because as many as five of its MPs may be too ill to vote.

Several prominent Tory and Labour Euro-sceptics, including Peter Shore, who raised the issue yesterday with Mr Major, had hoped that the stipulation would prevent British EMU membership in 1999. Labour last night tabled a Commons amendment reflecting its argument that the United Kingdom’s fishery quotas agreed 12 months ago would have been higher if Britain had played a more positive role in Europe. The revolt has been fuelled by alarm over the decision by the Madrid summit to confirm a timetable which will mean Britain having to decide early in 1998 whether or not to join EMU and adopt the “Euro”.Mr Major brushed aside a claim in the Commons yesterday by William Cash, the Eurosceptic Conservative MP, that he had “sold the pass” by not challenging the “determination of Germany and capitulating France” to go ahead with further European integration.But the Prime Minister further alarmed Eurosceptics by confirming that Britain would not have to rejoin the European Exchange Rate Mechanism for two years to qualify for monetary union. She may announce her decision about Mr Davis’s future today, after speculation that she was taking her time to ensure that she was not leaving herself open to legal challenge.Mr Davis made it clear he would not go voluntarily. After meeting Mrs Bottomley’s senior officials yesterday to explain his conduct, Mr Davis said: “I see no reason to resign.”Leading article, page 16.