Blair bloodied but unbowed

06 May 2005 03:24

Tony Blair was on course for a historic general election victory this morning – but with his majority halved.

The first Labour leader ever to secure three successive government terms saw his House of Commons majority slashed from 167, putting his long-term party leadership in doubt.

By 3am, Labour had 266 seats, a net loss of 18. The Tories had 64 seats, up 10. The Liberal Democrats had 32, up seven.

In the eastern region, results were slow. Suffolk Coastal declared first – a Tory hold.

Fifty people staged a protest at the Christian Community Centre polling station at Watton after being told they could not vote when the polls closed. Protester Sarah Mash said: “It's appalling. We have been denied our right to vote purely because of bad organisation.”

Results confirmed Labour's supremacy, with a healthy Commons majority of 70-90 predicted.

Mr Blair held Sedgefield but acknowledged the impact of the Iraq war. Chancellor Gordon Brown, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly and David Blunkett were re-elected.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw held Blackburn against an anti-war challenge, with the Norfolk-born former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, making his mark as an Independent.

Maverick George Galloway took Bethnal Green & Bow from Labour's Oona King in the most high-profile split over Iraq.

There were mixed fortunes for Tory leader Michael Howard, whose party picked up Putney, Shipley, Wimbledon and Peterborough, but saw its share of the vote stabilising at only about 32pc for the third general election in a row.

The Liberal Democrats won Birmingham Yardley, Rochdale and Cardiff Central from Labour, but lost Newbury to the Tories while staving off the No 1 Tory challenge at Cheadle.

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