London  - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown again suffered a setback in a by-election, with the central district of Cheshire Thursday electing a Conservative candidate by a wide margin in a parliamentary constituency that had been a Labour stronghold for decades.

Conservative candidate Edward Timpson won 49.9 per cent of the vote to Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody's 33.6 per cent, in results announced early Friday.

The vote was another blow for the prime minister after Labour's massive loss at the May 1 local elections - and a first by-election win for the Tories since 1983.

The by-election in Chesire district - composed of the cities of Crewe and Nantwich - was held due to the death of Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody last month, the mother of the defeated Labour candidate. (dpa)