THE Liberal Democrats' conference in Brighton next week will be in buoyant mood. The party's win in the Brent East by-election was a tremendous success, and an embarrassment of equal measure to the Labour and Conservative parties.

The Lib Dems' new MP, Sarah Teather, said correctly in her victory speech: ''Tony Blair, I hope you are listening. The people of Brent have spoken for the people of Britain. They want you to listen. They want you to deliver.''

The Northern Echo's headline the morning after the 2001 General Election said: "Time to deliver". Yet Mr Blair has spent the last year arguing about Iraq while public services seem to have drifted into obscure arguments about foundation hospitals and university funding.

Mr Blair's personal standing has also been tarnished by the Hutton Inquiry which, even if it vindicates him, will leave the impression that the Government is over-reliant on untrustworthy spin.

However, in Mr Blair's defence, he is in the middle of a difficult second term and has fought a war that was not especially popular. In such circumstances, a government should expect a good kicking in a by-election. It is the source of the kicking that is so surprising: the Lib Dems and not the official Opposition, Iain Duncan Smith's Conservatives. Not only is Mr Duncan Smith the quiet man, but the Tories are the quiet party - not a peep of protest from them against the war, foundation hospitals, Lords reform... No wonder they came third.

Most alarming of all is the turn-out: a measly 36.4 per cent. Barely a third of people could be bothered to vote despite the by-election's national prominence and the background of war. The turn-out takes the gloss off even the Lib Dems' victory - their opposition to the war has been principled but not attractive enough for two-thirds of voters.

Disillusionment with politics of all hues is growing and is becoming a threat to our democracy - which is ironic considering we have just sent British troops to depose a dictator and bring democracy to a foreign land.