Labour looses by-election due to war with Iraq

Lib Dems celebrate over Brent East poll
Prime Minister Tony Blair has signalled his readiness to listen to voter concerns after the Liberal Democrats seized one of Labour's safest seats in a key north London by-election.
Sarah Teather won the Brent East poll by more than 1,100 votes, overturning a 13,047 majority and marking Labour's first loss of a Commons seat in a by-election for 15 years.

The by-election, which saw London MEP Robert Evans knocked in to second place with 7,040 votes, compared with Ms Teather's 8,158, sent shock waves through the New Labour leadership.

Conservative chairman Theresa May said the result, which saw her party's candidate Uma Fernandes trailing in third place with 3,368 votes, marked a "devastating blow" for Labour in one of its "heartlands".

Labour's defeat will be seen as an indication that it has lost popularity as a result of the recriminations over the Iraq war and growing infighting over public service reform. Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, opposed the decision to go to war to topple Saddam Hussein and has since led parliamentary criticism of Tony Blair over allegations that the Government exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.