The World - News from Sept. 24, 1986

Britain’s Liberal Party overrode its leaders and voted for a non-nuclear defense policy, threatening a rupture with its Social Democratic Party partner in their bid to form a third major political force in the country. Spearheaded by its youth wing, delegates to the party’s conference in Eastbourne stuck to Liberal tradition and adopted an amendment calling for a non-nuclear defense--a key defeat for party leader David Steel. The Social Democrats want to retain a nuclear deterrent in Europe while ways to eliminate nuclear weapons entirely are explored.