Wirral's swinging voters take the good news to Tony Blair

The swinging voters of Wirral South turned out in force yesterday to tell Tony Blair that they were deserting the Tories and the Liberal Democrats to give Labour their backing in the 27 February by-election.

At a specially staged Labour meeting for voters identified as potential "switchers" in doorstep and telephone canvassing of the constituency held until his death last year by Tory MP Barry Porter, one 84-year-old woman told The Independent she had voted Conservative or Liberal Democrat all her life, but was now definite as a Labour voter in the by-election.

Some of those present at the meeting, in a pub hall at Thornton Hough, were still uncertain. They included a 47-year-old local manufacturer who was "touch and go" for Labour, and 68-year-old Mike Adams, former managing director of a Liverpool shipping firm, who said he had never voted Labour in his life, but was more "open minded" about doing so now.

"Tony Blair is a very good leader," Mr Adams said. "He has got a lot of drive and a lot of things he says I would agree with. My concern, I suppose, is whether he'll take all his Labour colleagues with him if he gets into power."

However, the enthusiasm of many of the converts was striking. Margaret Bracegirdle of Heswall, 68, a retired deputy school head, said during a question-and-answer session with Mr Blair: "If the socialists get in, and I do hope they do ... "

Later, Mr Blair said in an indictment of Labour's 18 wasted years: "People like new Labour. People have been crying out for a proper, sensible, serious alternative to the Tories for years. Now they have got one.

"There are people who have literally voted Conservative all their lives who are fed up with the Tories, like New Labour, and are anxious to see us deliver."

But he also said that the movement in the by-election vote could be more secure than usual, suggesting that a protest vote might be sustained through to the general election - with Labour possibly winning Wirral South in both elections.

"You say people go back to the Conservatives out of self-interest," Mr Blair told a Granada television interviewer who suggested that Wirral South would return to the Tory fold in a general election.

"I think it is an enlightened and sensible view of self-interest that is bringing people to today's Labour Party. The reason people are coming back is precisely because they see that Labour has something to offer for the future.

"Not just a kick against the Tories a couple of months before the general election, but actually a government that can offer new hope and a new start for Britain in the future."

Mr Blair touched all the bases in his question-and-answer session and a run of media interviews, saying that he would defend British interests as a "patriot" abroad, and would work for "One Nation" policies at home.

The reference to the lost One Nation Tory tradition struck a chord during a frenetic but friendly walkabout by Mr Blair in the blue-chip Tory ward of Heswall, where shoppers gave the Labour leader their best wishes. Although the morning's flying visit was extremely well organised - like everything else the Labour machine is doing in the Wirral South campaign - the machine minders could not have set up the presence or the views of John O'Hanlon, a retired manager of the private health insurers BPP.

Waiting to wish Mr Blair luck in Heswall's main shopping street, Mr O'Hanlon said: "We are becoming more of a divided society and, regrettably the less fortunate part of our society is being driven further and further down. The current Labour Party as it is now is what I think of as the Conservative Party of the Macmillan era ... the present Conservative Party has lost all direction ... John Major is no leader; he's a great one of tenaciously hanging on to power, but he's not leading the country."

Mr O'Hanlon, father of two doctors, said he suspected the Tories were plotting the privatisation of the National Health Service, something he deplored. He also said that quite a number of his friends were seriously thinking of changing their votes; if Labour canvassing and yesterday's voter views were anything to go by Labour is in for a good chance on 27 February and possibly, the general election to follow.

Donald Macintyre, page 19