The family barrister, contemptuously labelled a 'Tory toff' by his opponents, changed the face of British politics early today when he stormed to victory in the Crewe & Nantwich by-election.

Edward Timpson's victory, by a majority of 7,860, was greeted with a thunderous cheer by his supporters in Nantwich Civic centre in the early hours of the morning.

He polled 20,539 votes, or 49.1 per cent of the vote, overturning Gwyneth Dunwoody's 7, 078 majority, which added up to a swing of 17.6 per cent, effectively transforming the political fortunes of David Cameron's Conservatives.

Last night Eric Pickles, the campaign strategist, who targeted the campaign on Gordon Brown's leadership, said: "I feel we are speaking far beyond our own supporters and into parts of Labour's heartland."

In his acceptance speech, Mr Timpson said: "Today you have rejected the old politics and voted for the positive alternative put forward by the Conservative Party. Crewe and Nantwich has voted against Gordon Brown's decision to scrap the 10p rate."

Labour has for the last decade been revered and feared as a slick electoral machine that left nothing to chance. That mantle is passing to the Conservatives, with their first by-election gain since 1982.

Mr Cameron set the agenda from the moment at the beginning of the campaign when he arrived in Crewe's market square and called on voters to turn the by-election into a referendum on the abolition of the 10p tax band.

Right from the start, it was clear that Tamsin Dunwoody's handlers were anxious to play the class war card, highlighting the difference between the single mother of five and Mr Timpson, born into a wealthy family.

But already a small army of Mr Timpson's helpers were pushing leaflets through letter boxes urged voters to "send a message to Gordon Brown" who "does not understand what it is like to live on a low income at a time when the cost of living is rising". Voters were angry over rising food and fuel prices and the 10p debacle, and were not in the mood for class warfare.

It appeared that Labour had erred in calling the by-election so swiftly that the funeral for Gwyneth Dunwoody, 77, the veteran MP whose death prompted the poll, had not yet taken place. They shoehorned Tamsin Dunwoody into place hoping to capitalise on the family name, leaving them open to attack by Mr Cameron for adopting the "hereditary" principle.

From the first day of the campaign when Ms Dunwoody introduced Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, to pigeon fanciers in Coppenhall Working Men's Club she told everyone within hearing range that she was every bit as feisty and independent as her mother. Her posters proclaimed her "one of us" - but, instead, she appeared shrill and unconvincing.

On the same day, Rob Flello, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South and one of her campaign strategists, planted two activists dressed as the "Tarporley toffs" in top hats and tails to ambush Mr Cameron's arrival in Crewe with his candidate alongside him.

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