Holidaying Brown to face by-election blues

Published on Thursday 23 July 2009 22:02

GORDON Brown's summer holiday is expected to get off to a bad start when the results of the Norwich North by-election are declared today.

Labour is expected to lose the seat, with voters deserting after its "star chamber" decided to ban its sitting MP Ian Gibson from standing again at the general election.

This was because Dumfries-born Dr Gibson became embroiled in the MPs' expenses scandal when it emerged he had sold his London flat – for which he claimed around 80,000 in expenses – to his daughter at a knock-down price.

Dr Gibson frequently rebelled against the government but was liked in his constituency, where he held a 5,459 majority. He quit his seat in protest at being barred from standing again.

Charles Clarke, the former Labour home secretary, who represents Norwich South, said Dr Gibson had been the victim of a "kangaroo court", and many Labour voters were expected to stay at home in protest at his treatment.

Tory leader David Cameron has visited the constituency at least five times in support of his party's candidate, 27-year-old Chloe Smith. If she is elected, she will replace Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson as the youngest member of Parliament.

The polls closed last night but the result is not expected until after midday today, as counting did not start until this morning. The by-election will be the first since the expenses scandal – although Labour's mauling in last month's European elections was attributed to the public outcry caused by the revelations.

A recent opinion poll gave the Conservatives an 11-point lead and bookmakers have slashed the odds on Labour not even managing second place ahead of the Greens or the Lib Dems.

Labour's problems intensified when its candidate, Chris Ostrowski, was forced to abandon the campaign trail after collapsing with a bout of swine flu and being taken to hospital.