More agony for Brown as poll disaster looms
GORDON Brown is facing his worst week in office yet, following fresh evidence last night that Labour is on course for another election hammering.
Three opinion polls forecast a humiliating night for the party in this Thursday’s crucial Parliamentary by-election in Crewe and Nantwich.
And ministers were at odds over Labour’s much criticised “class war” tactics in the campaign.
Senior Labour MPs fear that a Conservative victory will spark fresh calls within Labour for Mr Brown to quit.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was also contemplating divisive House of Commons votes over human embryology and abortion today and tomorrow.
The Tories have not snatched a seat from Labour at a by-election for more than 30 years.
But an ICM poll of voters in Crewe and Nantwich yesterday suggested a 12 per cent swing to the Tories, enough to wipe out Labour’s 7,000-vote majority in the Cheshire constituency.
It put the Conservatives on a 45 per cent share of the vote, with Labour on 37 per cent and the Lib Dems on 14 per cent.
A separate national survey by pollsters YouGov suggested a mammoth 20 per cent gap between the two main parties.
It put the Tories on a 45 per cent projected vote share, Labour on 25 per cent and the Lib Dems on 18
per cent.
And another survey, by the poll-ing firm ComRes, showed Labour slumping to a 26 per cent projected vote share, with the Tories on 43 per cent and the Lib Dems on 19 per cent.
Labour’s disarray over the by-election campaign worsened yesterday when deputy leader Harriet Harman refused to defend stunts by local activists.
The party has been criticised for a “class war” approach seeking to brand Tory candidate Edward Timpson as an out-of-touch “toff”.
Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody’s official website yesterday displayed the stark slogan “Do you want a Tory con man or a Dunwoody?”, along with images of a top hat and a bow tie.
Ms Harman admitted the controversial strategy had led to “not the most positive” campaign. But in contrast, Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband defended the campaign.
“In by-elections you always have stunts, you always have people campaigning in adventurous ways,” he said.
In another development, a spokeswoman for Foreign Secretary David Miliband dismissed a report in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that he was being tipped for a senior role in Brussels as high representative for foreign affairs.
She said: “It’s certainly news to us. David is very happy being Foreign Secretary and he is getting on with the job.”
Mr Miliband is seen as a likely replacement if Mr Brown quits.
