I was the tenant of Mr Timpson for 3 years until last year. He and his wife were always very kind to me and I personally recommend him as a good man.

Luke Phillips, St Helens, UK

So the Labour candidate is in Burke's Peerage, her grandma was a Lady-in-waiting & she inherited the candidacy from her mum.

The Tory is from a family of cobblers & key cutters who fostered 80 deprived kids, inspiring him to take up family law.

And Labour say "Don't vote for the posh toff"

Mark Williams, Hampshire, UK

Class warfare from a party that taxes the poor to give to the rich? At least the Tories are honest about their right wing views. Resorting to name calling just shows how morally bankrupt Labour are.

judy, Liverpool, England

at least mr timpson lives in the area as opposed to mrs dunwoody who has been brought in from wales.

simon, crewe, uk

The usual Labour avarice and jealousy against those who work for a living rather than the low lifes living off Browns hand outs. Problem is, hypocritical Labour ministers & MP's are now getting mega handouts from their new nouveau rich friends.

Mike, Alicante, Spain

Typical of all that is wrong with this labour party. They have no decent policies and think they can win this by election with dirty tricks attacking the character of someone from another party. How this is ever going to persuade people to vote for them.

John Moore, Paphos, Cyprus

How sad that Labour are already in the gutter fighting their campaign. Their class war tactics belong, like Gordon Brown, to a post WW2 austerity era where it was all tax and spend with scarcely anything to show for it.

R.M., London, England

Back to the politics of envy.
This to cover that man of the people Gordon Brown, who feels our pain to the extent he arranges for lower paid workers to pay more tax to fund a tax cut for the better-off.
Wealth does not make you stupid but intelectual arrogance does a fair imitation.

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

My wife comes from Stoke On Trent - not far from Crewe and believe me when STAFFS people make their mind up - that is it !!!! I'm afraid Labour are already a defeated Party up there whether they like it or not !!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

Hope Tony Bliar doesn't have to complete that Tory application form. What with his (at least) two multimillion pound homes in central London. And having been educated at Fettes. Sorry, who is the toff??? Goodbye Labour, hope you don't even make it into opposition at the next general election.

Garley, London, England

If Gordon Brown isn't standing as a candidate, why should Labour use his photograph?

What has Tamsin Dunwoody done with her life, or for her prospective constituents?

Has the Labour Party no actual policies or achievements to offer?

alan calverd, bishops stortford, herts, UK

Surely as good comrades and fans of Swedish Socialism we shouldn't vote based on the candidate's background but on what they say and do. Or, in Labour's case, have done & spun - and soon will do no more.

Colin, Cumbernauld, UK

I take it Labour are blissfully ignorant of the fact that the Timpson shoe-mending business started by a Mancunian shoe maker - a far cry from the aristocracy. One does also not become a barrister without a great degree of hard work. Oddly, Timpson isn't the one relying on the family name either.

Neil Carrins, York,

Sounds familiar eh. Mugarbe blames the white farmers for his woes. The labour party blames the toffs. Both Labour and Mugarbe are desperate to cling to power and embarassed that they the are not as good as they thought they were. Their leadership of their countrys have left them in a worst state.

Sven, Manchester, England

sorry, i must have missed something here...how can class warfare possibly work in our classless society ?

redtom, bolton, u.k.

Labour are in such a rut at the moment that their only tactic is to use the class card. How desperate. Why does Labour seem to believe that only those of working class backgrounds are worthy of being an MP? They should be ashamed of themselves.

James Maskell, Margate, England

Forget it. It won't wash, Labour!

Edwin, Bucharest,