BOURNEMOUTH : Tired Tories Huddle

Britain’s ruling Conservative Party is holding its annual conference in the English Channel resort of Bournemouth this week, with the goal of pumping some enthusiasm into a tired political organization.

Glumly, Tories watched last week’s upbeat Labor Party conference that enthusiastically embraced the party’s new leader, Tony Blair, who promised to lead the long-out-of-power opposition to victory in the next national election.

Prime Minister John Major has been doing poorly in public opinion polls and, after 15 years in power, the Conservatives seem to lack confidence. No elections are scheduled and none is required until the spring of 1997, so the Tories can wait for something to tip the scales in their favor again.