Conservative Crewe win blow to Brown

|PIC1|The Conservatives won a mid-term parliamentary seat from Labour on Friday in a new blow to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's bludgeoned political fortunes.

The Conservatives' win in the northern town of Crewe was the party's first gain from Labour in a mid-term election since 1978, the year before Margaret Thatcher seized victory and thrust the party into 18 years in the political wilderness.

The election, triggered by the death of the constituency's Labour MP, is being closely watched as an indicator of Brown's diminishing appeal 11 months after he took over as prime minister from Tony Blair.

The swing of 17.6 percent from a Labour majority of 7,000 to a Conservative one of nearly 8,000 will be a bitter pill for Brown and his party to swallow. Turnout was 58 percent -- high for a mid-term election.

Analysts said that if the move was repeated nationally it would give the Conservatives a massive parliamentary majority.

Brown's popularity ratings have collapsed since October after he backed away from calling an early election which many pundits think he could have won but with a reduced majority.

Some Labour members are asking whether he is the best man to lead them into a parliamentary election due by early 2010.

The Conservatives believe victory in this Labour heartland would signal that the political wind has turned in their favour, putting them on track to unseat Brown.

More recently, Labour suffered a mauling in May 1 local council elections and is struggling to restore public confidence after a botched tax reform left many of the poorest worse off.

Rising living costs and anxiety over a potential housing market slump have added to the government's woes.

Lifelong Labour voters on the streets of Crewe and the neighbouring market town of Nantwich on Thursday blamed Labour for the rising cost of living and said they had had enough.

While the election was for a single parliamentary seat, voters were aware of its significance for the national picture.

"I think Labour had lost it before this," said taxi driver Terry Clorley, 63, referring to the next general poll. Clorley said he voted Conservative for the first time on Thursday.

"They must know the writing is on the wall," said 60-year-old Patrick Sutton, also a lifelong Labour supporter who switched to Conservative candidate Edward Simpson.

Brown could now face a renewed backlash from members of his Labour Party who already doubt his ability to win.

The election was triggered by the death of Labour incumbent Gwyneth Dunwoody, who held the seat for 34 years. Her daughter Tamsin, a 49-year-old single mother, ran for Labour.

Voters said the rising cost of food and fuel, the government's mishandling of tax reform and a negative campaign run by Labour had prompted the move to the Conservatives.