HOURS after calling on Tony Blair to step down, Labour's Paul Flynn secured his fifth election victory in the Newport West constituency.

Mr Flynn, who has gained a reputation as a maverick, had earlier said the issue of the Iraq war and Mr Blair's personality had been major problems during the campaign, nationally and on the doorsteps of Newport West.

Despite Labour heading for a much-reduced majority nationwide, Mr Flynn called the election "marvellous" for the party, and said a third term in government is "something that our parents and grandparents would have dreamt of".

"I am thrilled because this is going to be a great government," he said. Mr Flynn paid tribute to Jessica Morden, elected in the neighbouring Newport East constituency, calling it "a marvellous achievement that we have the first woman MP in Gwent".

"We have stressed throughout our campaigns the positive virtues of Newport. The city is in safe hands and we look forward to serving it," he said.

"I also make no apologies for running a campaign on global issues, such as global warming. It is vital we avoid the tipping points that could destroy human habitats."

Mr Flynn's majority is down from more than 9,300 to less than 5,500, prompting Conservative candidate Dr Bill Morgan to declare that Newport West is now "a marginal constituency".

The reduction is probably down to protest votes against the war and against Mr Blair himself, with Liberal Democrat candidate Nigel Flanagan the major beneficiary.

Dr Morgan also improved his showing, however, running a busy campaign that focused on both national issues and constituency concerns.

The 44.8 per cent of the vote secured by Mr Flynn was 7.9 per cent down on his 2001 result, with Dr Morgan's 29.6 per cent share an increase of 3.4 per cent. Mr Flanagan's 17.9 per cent share was a 6.2 per cent improvement on the party's 2001 showing. All the other candidates lost their deposits.