So, as expected, the Tories win the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. Handsomely. The remarkable thing is that it took so long and that the Tory brand remained so toxic that this is the first by-election gain the party has enjoyed enjoyed since Labour came to power in 1997. In fact, it’s the Tories first bye-election gain since 1982. But all things must come to an end. Once the worm turns it stays turned. This, remember, is seat number 165 on the Tories’ list of target seats. A 17.6% swing is at the high end of Tory hopes.
True, this result alone won’t topple Gordon Brown. He will limp on. Labour’s problem is that they, not the Tories, are the poisonous party now. One should beware of saying “never” but it’s hard to see what Brown can do to recover.
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