UK NEWS

MORE AGONY FOR BROWN AS POLL DISASTER LOOMS

Gordon Brown should prepare for his toughest week in office yet

Monday May 19,2008

By Macer Hall, Political Editor

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(6)

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.

FEAR NOT!

19.05.08, 10:05pm

Jaqui Smith says that they are going to win this election so it must be true isnt it????????????
Or perhaps this is just another inication of how far removed they all are from Public opinion.
So electors of crewe you have the power to show the government what you really think of them, pity this option isnt open to us all, use your vote wisely.

• Posted by: Russell42 • Report Comment

TIME TO GO

19.05.08, 5:37pm

Gordon its time you realised that you and the useless nu labour experiment has been an unmitigated disaster for this once great country. Take your hook back to Scotland and take the rest of the McMafia with you and do't come back.

• Posted by: Col • Report Comment

IF NULAB LOSE THIS SEAT (WHIICH LOOKS ALMOST CERTAIN)....

19.05.08, 4:59pm

Brown will be history.

Well, he should have listened, shouldn't he? He was warned.

• Posted by: Veltro205 • Report Comment

DEATH THROE AGONY

19.05.08, 4:27pm

Lets hope the people of Nantwich and Crewe use this opportunity to give Brown the pasting he deserves. A resounding defeat for labour might just persuade the thick skinned Brown that he should go but, if not, it will hopefully provide the impetus for a leadership challenge and Browns forced removal. The labour party has a finite time to turn things around before the next general election and nothing is going to get better until Brown is history. Brown must not be allowed to cling to office and spend thousands of pounds more of public money on spin doctors, tv apprentice shows and youtube prime ministers question time in a futile bid to improve his popularity

For the future good of the Labour party and its chances of winning the next general election we need a massive defeat for Labour in this byelection. A rout on a scale which even the unelected and unwanted Brown cannot ignore and one which will lead to his immediate ejection from office.

• Posted by: Dorsetrambler • Report Comment

WE NEED GIANTS NOT PYGMIES

19.05.08, 3:29pm

Yes! It is likely that the Tories will win the Crewe & Nantwich Bye-Election, but does it really matter much?. At a time when British sovereignty is threatened with extinction by the EU, we need political and ethical giants not the pygmies we actually have on offer.

• Posted by: Freedom • Report Comment