JOHN Major is to warn troublesome Tories that he will not be blackmailed at home or abroad over the beef wars that have badly damaged Lancashire's meat trade.

His fightback comes after one senior Conservative - ex-Minister George Walden - threatened to wipe out the Prime Minister's fragile Commons majority.

And the latest twist to the crisis coincided with fears that Mad Cow Disease might still be in the food chain, despite all the Government's sanctions aimed at reversing the beef ban.

A senior party aide said: "John Major will not be bullied or blackmailed by backbenchers whether they are pro-European or anti-European, or sceptics.

"He can be tough on both sides of the Channel."

Mr Major is ready, if necessary, to soldier on with a minority Government rather than be panicked into an early election or another policy shift, insiders confirmed today. If the Government's majority does dip below zero, that will increase Tory efforts to keep Bolton North West MP Peter Thurnham, who is now an Independent Conservative, voting in the Government lobbies.

Tory strategists are also worried over Mr Walden's claim that more of his pro-European colleagues share his concern over Government moves to paralyse Brussels business unless the ban is lifted.

Mr Walden threatened to resign the Tory Whip because the policy of non-cooperation was "deeply silly and cynical".

He believes that Mr Major was bounced into the wrecking action by Right-wing Euro sceptics on his own benches.

Meanwhile the Minister of Agriculture has promised an investigation into so-called "private kills" under a loophole in the current regulations

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