Britain's opposition Conservatives gained a mid-term parliamentary seat from the ruling Labour Party today for the first time in 30 years, making them favourites to win the next general election.
The drubbing for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's party came after disastrous results in May 1st local council elections and consistently bad opinion poll ratings, turning the Conservatives into credible challengers after 11 years in opposition.
The Conservatives overturned a Labour majority of 7,000 to win the seat in Crewe by a margin of nearly 8,000, a 17.6 per cent swing. Turnout was 58 per cent.
The incumbent, who died last month, had held the seat for Labour for 34 years. It was the first time the Conservatives had taken a seat from Labour in a mid-term vote since 1978, the year before Margaret Thatcher swept them to office.
Even a last-minute £2.7 billion tax cut announced ahead of the poll, intended to undo a botched tax reform, failed to win support for the government.
"Thousands of people who haven't voted Conservative before decided to come out and support us," Conservative leader David Cameron said on the streets of the town alongside his victorious candidate, Edward Timpson.
"For Labour it was the end of being the party of aspiration. It was the end of being the party of opportunity. It was the end of New Labour here on the streets of Crewe," he said.
The Prime Minister brushed aside questions about the future of his leadership and said the result reflected voters' concerns about the state of the economy.
"The message that we have got is that people are concerned. They are concerned about rising prices. My task is to continue to steer the British economy through very tough times," he said.
Agencies