THE Conservatives today won a spectacular victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, seizing the formerly safe Labour seat by a margin of almost 8000 votes.
The massive 17.6 per cent swing, overturning the 7000 majority achieved by the late Gwyneth Dunwoody in the 2005 general election, is another savage blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown after Labour's drubbing at the May 1 local elections.
It is t
he first Conservative gain from Labour in a by-election for 30 years and if repeated in a general election, it would give the Tories a majority of over 300 in the House of Commons and reduce Labour to just 102 MPs.
Tory leader David Cameron described the result as "remarkable" and claimed it meant the "end of New Labour" but added: "I know we still have a long way to go."
The new Conservative MP Edward Timpson said the voters of Crewe and Nantwich had "sent a message loud and clear: Gordon just doesn't get it and the Government needs to change".
Mr Timpson identified Mr Brown's decision to scrap the 10p starting rate of income tax as one of the key factors which drove former Labour voters into the arms of the Tories.
Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody paid tribute to her mother and said the by-election had been a difficult mid-term contest.
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman vowed the Government would "redouble its efforts" in addressing concern over the economy.
And she dismissed speculation about Gordon Brown's leadership, saying: "Circumstances are challenging but he is the right person to take us forward."
But left-wing Labour backbencher John McDonnell, who attempted to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership of the party last year, warned ministers against dismissing the result as "mid-term blues".
Mr McDonnell said: "Things are just going from bad to worse for the Government.
"The Prime Minister's re-launch after the disaster of the local election results has proved to be totally ineffective.
"This result demonstrates the overwhelming anger and contempt in which New Labour is now held by our traditional supporters."
"The lesson tonight for the Labour Party is that it is change or bust."
Tory shadow defence secretary Liam Fox hailed the outcome in the Cheshire seat as "a great result for the Conservatives" which showed the party was winning in the north of England once more.
He said: "It's a great result for David Cameron because I think that it gives him as leader tremendous authority. It is the best result we have had for 30 years.
"For Labour, it is a dire result. It is indicative of the fact that voters believe Gordon Brown has lost the plot. The campaign, going back to Old Labour class envy, has got its just reward."
Mr Cameron is expected to capitalise on victory by calling an early by-election in Henley, the seat due to be vacated by Boris Johnson, the new London Mayor. June 26 and July 3 are already being pencilled in as likely dates.
The full article contains 513 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
