The Conservative constituency of Eddisbury, in Cheshire, could be the scene of a sensational by-election victory for Labour later today if its candidate overturns a meagre 1,185 majority when the voters go to the polls, writes Rachel Donnelly
If Mr Tony Blair's New Labour succeeds in Eddisbury, it will be the first time in more than 60 years that this rural constituency has returned a Labour MP to Westminster and will provide some compensation for the Prime Minister after difficult months dealing with Kosovo and Northern Ireland.
However, a Labour victory is far from secure. When Mr Blair decided to pay a flying visit to the constituency yesterday he was greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos as Conservative supporters tried to drown out his words. Protesters waving placards bearing the slogans "Towny Tony learn about the country" and "Save the Pound" were evidence of two of the main issues dividing voters in the area - the countryside and Europe.
The Government's intention to ban fox hunting has not gone down well with the hunting set in Cheshire, home of the Cheshire Hunt, which is one of England's oldest hunts. Voters are also concerned about the prospect of Britain joining the Single Currency and the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, has made it clear that voters must use the by-election to send the government the message that Britain wants to keep the pound. The by-election count will take place after the polls close tonight at 10 p.m. and the result should be known early tomorrow.