Labour candidate, Andrew Slaughter

Polls Open in Uxbridge By-election

Both main parties have claimed the outcome in the by-election in the west London constituency of Uxbridge is "too close to call". Much is likely to depend on how many voters turn out to the polling booths.

The bookmakers William Hill have made Labour 8/11 favourite to win the previously Tory seat. The Conservatives were even money to keep it, and the Liberal Democrats were quoted at 66/1.

On the eve of the poll, the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, rallied activists in Uxbridge. "It is neck and neck between us and the Tories," he told them.

Tory candidate, John Randall

"So we must make sure that every last person who has told us during this campaign that they like what they see of the new Labour Government and that they are glad to see the back of the Tories, gets out to vote for our candidate tomorrow," he continued.

Mr Prescott told his audience that the voters of Uxbridge had a "golden opportunity" to put another Labour MP in Parliament. "The country voted them out on May 1. I say to the people of Uxbridge: don't vote even one of them back in."

Lib Dems Proud of 'Positive' Campaign

The Liberal Democrat candidate Keith Kerr said his party had fought a "positive" campaign of which it could be "proud".

"Our campaign has already won us hearts and minds. We've won the arguments and we've won many new supporters and new members for our party," he said in a statement.

Lib Dem candidate, Keith Kerr

"Our task is to turn this support into votes, to send the most powerful message possible to the Government for investment in education and health services, and for the protection of our environment," he urged supporters.

The Tory vice-chairman Archie Norman was also in Uxbridge joining party workers on the doorsteps in a last minute bid to canvass the support of floating voters.

Mr Norman stressed that Mr Randall was a local man, compared with "imposed" Fulham-based Labour candidate Mr Slaughter.

"We listened to the voters of Uxbridge," said Mr Norman. "I appeal to all Conservatives, to those who care about Uxbridge, and to those who resent Labour's high-handed attitude to the voters of Uxbridge, to combine to elect John Randall, the local choice, as the next MP for Uxbridge."

Mr Randall had fought a "positive campaign ... asked challenging questions without descending into abuse of personal attacks as Labour have done", added he added.

The poll was sparked by the death of Tory MP Sir Michael Shersby just a week after the general election in which he bucked the forecasts to fend off Labour, clinging to his seat with a narrow majority of just 724.

If the Tories win, it will be their first by-election victory since the party leader William Hague first won his Yorkshire seat of Richmond in February 1989. Victory would be a much-needed boost to Tory morale, virtually crushed after the May 1 disaster.

Labour's campaign has been overshadowed by a row over the decision to ditch the party's general election candidate David Williams. Some local party workers were infuriated that he was not even shortlisted as a possible candidate for the by-election.

Party bosses decided he was not suitable to fight the seat in the hot-house atmosphere of a by-election, and chose a candidate from outside Uxbridge who was more attuned to "new Labour".

A second by-election is now looming for later this year after this week's death of Gordon McMaster, Labour MP for Paisley South.

11 Candidates Fight Seat

The candidates in the Uxbridge by-election are:

• Ian Anderson, National Democrat
• Ronnie Carroll, Emerald Rainbow Islands Dream Ticket Party
• James Feisenberger, Independence Party
• Keith Kerr, Liberal Democrat
• Julia Leonard, Socialist Party
• John McCauley, National Front
• Henry Middleton, Original Liberal Party
• John Randall, Conservative
• Andrew Slaughter, Labour
• Lord David Sutch, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• Frances Taylor, British National Party