Embattled Thatcher Vows to Fight for Job

LONDON — Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, bloodied but unbowed by a bruising battle for leadership of her party, vowed today to fight on, but her main rival boasted that he is now only nine votes short of ending her political career.

“I fight on, I fight to win,” Thatcher told reporters in London on her return from the Paris European security summit.

But political sources said there were signs of support ebbing from Thatcher to Michael Heseltine, who forced the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party into a second round with a strong showing in Tuesday’s first ballot.

Heseltine, 57, an ex-defense minister who resigned from his post five years ago in a dispute with Thatcher, said more Tory members of Parliament will switch to him on the second ballot, for which only a simple majority is needed to win.

“Ten people have told us since last night that they are with us,” a Heseltine campaign official said. “We need nine more to get us to the 187 level.”

Political sources said some influential politicians believed that Thatcher, 65 and in office for 11 1/2 years, should be persuaded to step aside now and avoid the risk of a humiliating defeat that would split the party.

But defeat was not on the “Iron Lady’s” mind when she emerged from her official residence at No. 10 Downing St. to repeat that she is still in the battle.

Thatcher drove from Downing Street to Parliament, where she stood amid cheers from supporters to present her report on the Paris summit.

Since her return from the summit, Thatcher had been closeted with party leaders, getting their advice on the mood among Conservative legislators after the inconclusive first ballot.

Thatcher won 204 first-ballot votes to Heseltine’s 152 but failed by four votes to get the margin needed under the rules to avoid a second poll next Tuesday.