Labour suffer massive by-election defeat

by Dave Keating | May 23, 2008 at 12:06 am | 263 views | 2 comments

John Pienaar, Anita Anand of 5 Live with Elizabeth Shenton

Yesterday's all-important by-election in Crewe was a complete disaster for UK prime minister Gordon Brown. he saw his Labour party lose with a shocking 17.6 percent swing toward the Tories. Everyone is watching and waiting now to see what Brown will do next. Is this the end of New Labour?

The Conservatives last night swept to a resounding victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election.

Labour’s 7,000 majority in the constituency was overturned by the Tories by a margin of almost 8,000 votes.

The contest followed the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody.

The result, which marks the first Conservative by-election win since 1983, comes as a fresh blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown following Labour's poor showing in the May 1 local elections.

Tory winner Edward Timpson conceded that the poll was probably the first time many of his voters had backed the Conservatives.

"I have a message for you," he said, after the result was announced. "I am on your side and I won't let you down."