Narrow win wards off last rites, but the patient is still ailing

Conservative now in the unenviable position of being Nottinghamshire's only Tory MP.

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

THE Conservative Party has just won back a county council seat it had previously held since its creation 20 years ago.

The winning candidate is the very same one first elected to the seat in 2005.

It is a result you would think barely worthy of mention. But in the current political climate, it is one that has caused much Conservative fist-pumping as the party begins to believe reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated.

The result from the Newark West by-election came in during the early hours of Friday after a tense recount. The late-night euphoria was probably a symptom of relief that everyone could go to bed and that, for the Tories, the last few weeks of sweaty door-knocking had not been in vain.