British PM's Labor Party loses seat in by-election

LONDON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain's opposition Conservatives won the first by-election since the parliament expenses scandal, an embarrassing blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Conservative candidate Chloe Smith won the Norwich North seat by 7,348 votes with a total of 13,591. Brown's Labour Party came in a distant second with 6,243 votes.

Brown said the vote was "clearly a disappointing result."

The by-election was called when Labour member of parliament Ian Gibson resigned last month after revelations he had claimed thousands of pounds in parliamentary expenses for a London flat he later sold at a cut rate to his daughter.

A panel of senior Labour MPs had already decided Gibson should be barred from standing for the party at the next general election.