Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP said of Blairs comments about 'the North' NOT being poorer than the South that "Tony Blair is obviously panicking. New Labour were beaten into fourth place in the Ceredigion Westminster by-election and all the indications are there is every prospect that they will fare no better in Ayr."

"New Labour and Blair can be compared with the Millennium Dome - all spin and hype before, but a closer look exposes the vacuum in the middle. "

"And just as no-one is visiting the Dome, voters are turning away from New Labour in droves."

Labour was soundly beaten in the parliamentary by-election in Ceredigion