Labour's U-turn on tax fails to cheer up voters in Crewe

Labour's U-turn on tax fails to cheer up voters in Crewe

The Tories wanted to focus on crime while Labour was trying to get the feelgood factor back by wheeling out a much-loved television soap star.

But in Crewe and Nantwich yesterday the voters were still keen to talk about Gordon Brown and his 10p tax rate troubles. Derek Wood, 59, a rail worker, said: "It's terrible, a disgrace. Labour does not care about the working man any more. They've done their U-turn but how are they going to pay for it, if not this year then in years to come? I used to be a Labour voter. I'm not now. I don't know who I'll vote for but it won't be Labour."

Matthew Latham, 35, who is in charge of a local neighbourhood watch scheme, was showing David Davis, the shadow home secretary, around his area. But he was also eager to put the boot in on the tax controversy. "It's a disgrace. I don't get paid very much so I'm the sort of person who is affected by this." Latham also considered himself a Labour voter but was undecided this time.

Even those who did not really understand what the 10p tax row was about had a strong opinion. Tom Carless, 20, said: "I don't know much about that but it makes Gordon Brown look bad, doesn't it? I've never voted and I'm not going to this time unless someone really catches my eye."

The main issue affecting him was unemployment: "I've applied for almost 200 building jobs. I've only had eight replies and those were to say they didn't want me."

In Coronation Street, Crewe, Labour was throwing.....continued below

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a garden party with the star guests their byelection candidate, Tamsin Dunwoody, and Liz Dawn, who until recently played Vera Duckworth in TV's Coronation Street. She is also a long-time Labour supporter.

Even here committed Labour supporters were critical of the 10p tax row. Alan Dennis, who allowed the party to be held in his front garden, earns £6 an hour at a plumbing firm. He said: "I have to dip into food money all the time now, even though I've still got to pay full council tax and everything. Fuel's going up, petrol's going up. Everything's going up but I don't have a wage rise, so I'm struggling."

The government's change of heart on the tax rate would not cover his losses, he said. "It doesn't matter how much the government gives you, they always take off a bit more in the end."

But he added: "I'm going to stick with them. They've let me down sometimes but not all the time."

Most people the Guardian spoke to had not decided how to vote next week in the byelection following the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody, who had a 7,078 majority at the last election.

Richard Brown, a retired aid worker, now a boat builder, said: "I'm into social justice and all that. I might still vote for Labour, but I might not. Tony Blair was good at spin, this lot are guilty of some mismanagement and bad PR. Gordon Brown is getting the blame for everything."

guardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008