THE TORIES may greet their victory today in the Uxbridge by-election as the start of their fight-back.

But given that this remains the first milestone on a long, uphill road, of more significance is the result as far as Labour is concerned.

True, the setback is mitigated by the massive Commons majority given to Tony Blair in the general election.

He still has an awesome 178-seat majority that renders the Opposition ineffectual.

Nevertheless, the voters of Uxbridge delivered a telling slap-in-the-face to the Labour command and its style of government - characterised by the Blair-Mandelson cabal's dominance and autocracy.

Labour voters who, at the general election, put the party's candidate within 724 votes of a spectacular victory, this time stayed home to allow the Tories to keep the seat and, by their absence, delivered a firm rebuff to boss Blair.

It was the ditching of local candidate David Williams, the runner-up last time, and the parachuting in of the leadership-anointed Blairite Andrew Slaughter which peeved them and sparked this protest.

Mr Blair, with his power base, can afford to ignore it, but it would be most unwise if he did.

For this was a clear message that the centralised, firm-leadership style and the spin-doctored "head office" diktat may shrivel input and spark local resentment.

Mr Blair may shrug off this disappointment and draw comfort from past trends that show Labour has never gained a seat in a by-election while in government and that, in 37 years, no government has won a by-election from the main Opposition party.

But what the result really delivered was a salutary lesson not to let power go to his head.

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