Labour sees need to widen appeal

Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose party came a poor fourth in the Eastleigh by-election, said this showed Labour must advance in the south of England if it is to win power in 2015.

Questioned about candidate John O’Farrrell’s performance, Mr Miliband said: “It convinces me that we need to redouble our efforts to reach out to every part of the country, including areas where Labour hasn’t traditionally been strong,” he said.

“This was a disastrous night for the Conservatives and David Cameron. What we want to hear from the prime minister is a recognition that people are deeply unhappy with the direction of the country and he’s going to listen,” he went on.

For now, Labour is content to let the focus remain on the Conservatives, who finished third, though there is disquiet within the party that the UK Independence Party’s performance could, in time, threaten it just as much as the Conservatives.

Nationalist appeal

Describing the result as a disaster, Labour MP Austin Mitchell, no fan of Mr Miliband, said Labour needs “a nationalist appeal”.

Politically, the persistent demands by Conservative MPs for ever more right-wing policies is making it more difficult for Mr Miliband to pick off the weaker Liberal Democrat outposts, since such MPs can more credibly argue that they are softening the impact of Conservative rule, if nothing else.

Labour holds just 10 seats ou tof 197 in the south of England. Under Tony Blair, Labour made significant gains there, only to see them lost in 2010.