Labour braced to lose seat in anti-war vote

Labour is in serious danger of losing one of its safe seats in a by-election humiliation, Tony Blair will be warned.

Party strategists believe they are "facing disaster" in Leicester South following the death of popular MP Jim Marshall from a heart attack.

Although 63-year-old Mr Marshall held the seat with a solid 13,243 majority in 2001, Mr Blair will be told this could be swept aside in an anti-war vote - with the Liberal Democrats best placed to pull off a rout.

One senior Labour figure told the Evening Standard: "We are almost certainly going to lose the seat... this by-election could not come at a worse time."

Leicester South has the strongest concentration of Muslims in the city and anger over Iraq is said to be high.

The Lib-Dems have increased their support in Leicester in recent years and hope to take control of the city council on 10 June.

The by-election is only the third this Parliament and the last, in Brent East last September, saw the Lib-Dems overturn a similar majority.