Westminster braced for a Labour massacre

Like Pete, I have picked up on hesitancy in some parts of Crewe – mainly from Tory activists who realise this is a “send Brown a message” by-election rather than a mandate for Conservatism. But a win is a win – and in Westminster, at least, Tories are expecting a mammoth victory. One Shadow Cabinet member told me his prediction and swore me to secrecy – safe to say, it was a resolutely optimistic one. “Expectations management has gone out of the window” said one senior figure in the campaign.

There’s talk about Brown going into hiding in his constituency over the weekend; of next week’s recess meaning the only political news will be of how bad Brown is and of various plots to get rid of him; of how Milburn and Byers will stoke the weekend press reports, and that it might last until a week on Sunday too. Then – joy of Tory joys – a half-baked mutiny that will leave Brown wounded, angry and dangerous.