Turn-out low as voters show disgust at politicians

The Telegraph
All parties were playing down their prospects of success, although the Conservatives were predicting victory by a modest margin.

Outsider candidates, including the UK Independence Party and the Greens, were expected to fare better than usual, with many traditional Labour deciding not to vote. A party source said: "It looks very bad for Labour."

Sources suggested that turnout was far lower than at the General Election, when more than 61 per cent of eligible voters took part in the poll.

The contest, which has been dubbed the "expenses by-election," was triggered by the resignation of Labour's Ian Gibson, who stood down in protest after he was barred by the party from being a candidate at the next general election.

He was disciplined following The Daily Telegraph's disclosure that his daughter and her boyfriend had lived with him in his taxpayer-funded second home, which he later sold to them at about half the market value.

Gordon Brown has admitted that the poll is taking place in "unique" circumstances with Mr Gibson, who had been a popular constituency MP, attracting the sympathy of voters who feel that he had been made a scapegoat for the expenses scandal.

Charles Clarke, the former home secretary who represents the neighbouring seat, claimed that he had been sacked in a "kangaroo court".

Opinion polls had suggested that the safe Labour seat, which Mr Gibson secured with a 5,459 majority, was likely to be won by the Conservative candidate, 27-year-old Chloe Smith.

Labour's woes were compounded when candidate Chris Ostrowski collapsed with swine flu a few days before the election, and is thought to be unlikely to make it to the count, which has been delayed until today with the result expected at around noon.

Officials said that the delay was caused by a higher than usual number of postal ballots.