Anglo-French billionaire Sir James Goldsmith and former Conservative Minister David Mellor were involved in an unprecedented clash after both were beaten in the British election on Thursday. Goldsmith chanted ``out! out! out!'' as Mellor was toppled in the London seat of Putney he had held since 1979 by Tony Colman of the Opposition Labour Party, which was heading for a landslide victory across Britain.

Mellor, quivering with anger, packed no punches. ``He has shown his contempt for the democratic process by behaving as if he was boozed up at a rugby match,'' he said of Goldsmith. ``What Putney has said to him was `go back to your hacienda'. The sooner he goes back to (one of his homes in) Mexico the better,'' he told ITN television news. Goldsmith won just 1,500 votes as leader of the Referendum Party. Goldsmith and Mellor rank as two of the most colourful figures in British politics, both exciting strong passions.

Mellor, who had styled his position as ``minister of fun'', was the first of a string of ministers and leading Conservatives to resign in sex and financial scandals that wounded the reputation of Prime Minister John Major's government. He has since made a name for himself as a Sports commentator and arts critic.

The Pravda bar was the place to be on Thursday night in New York, where Britain's Labour Party organised a star-studded event to celebrate the party's landslide victory in a general election. Bianca Jagger confessed she was ``thinking of going to live in England'' as the live television coverage flashed the election results onto screens. Actress Lauren Hutton, and British publishing exiles Harold Evans and his wife Tina Brown were also on hand as free champagne flowed in the basement bar. Free drinks, Scotch eggs and Stilton cheese were also available at an election party organised by the Government British Information Service at the Consulate-General in New York.

Britons elected their first Muslim Member of Parliament as the Labour Party swept to a landslide victory. Pakistan-born Mohammed Sarwar, a millionaire businessman, was elected as Labour's MP for the seat of Govan in Glasgow with a comfortable majority. But Sarwar was not on stage when the result was read out because he refused to stand alongside the extreme-right British National Party's (BNP) candidate. The BNP campaigns for an end to immigration and the repatriation of non-Whites. Anti-racist groups have linked it to several racial attacks in Britain. Sarwar, who was born near Faisalabad, Pakistan, has said he hopes his election will give a greater voice to Britain's ethnic communities. ``This is a great day for the people of Govan and the people of Scotland,'' he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.