TORY BY-ELECTION BLUES

What a blow for David Cameron. Really looks as though his bid to be Blair 2 has fallen off the rails after disastrous result for him in Ealing. No-one expected Sedgefield to be anything other than a Labour hold , but Ealing was being bigged up as a potential coup for the "David Cameron Conservatives." Seems like people saw through the ridiculous spin around Tony Lit - and the Tories came a humiliating third. Ming Campbell must also be breathing a sigh of relief.....

THE GANG OF FIVE

Iain Dale 's blog today reveals that five Labour councillors have defected to the Tories in Ealing Southall , saying the Conservative Party is their "natural home" and that they want to support the Tory candidate. Tony Lit .Firstly, good riddance. But secondly, this illustrates just how far to the right our Party has travelled. One defection is a one-off. Five surely indicative of a more endemic problem. Until the Government starts putting clear red water between us and the Conservatives, expect more of the same. It might also have helped matters if the choice of Labour candidate in Ealing wasn't such a blatant stitch-up.

PS:Update Tuesday:It's now 6