EIGHT years ago Stephen Twigg’s shy, amazed and euphoric smile became the iconic image of the 1997 election as he seized Enfield Southgate for Labour.

Eight days ago the anguish and shock on that same face, as he discovered that the Tories had won the seat back from him, symbolised new Labour’s retreat in the 2005 election.

The victory of this little-known, openly gay young candidate in 1997 was dramatic partly because it stopped Michael Portillo, then the Defence Secretary and clear favourite to become Tory leader, in his tracks. Were You Still Up for Portillo? was a memorable book title from that time.

Early last Friday Mr Portillo stayed “up for Twigg”, sending the man who had defeated him a text message: “I recommend a by-election.” He had himself returned to Parliament, less than two years after his loss of Enfield Southgate, by that route, winning the Kensington and Chelsea by-election.

But the Michael Portillo who came back to the Commons was very different from the Thatcherite tub-thumper who had lost his seat in 1997. As Mr Twigg says: “Michael was transformed by that defeat. It’s hard to believe he was the same man we see on the TV now. I guess there was a basic social liberalism about him which he felt he had to suppress in the early 1990s.”

Indeed, after a failed bid for the Conservative leadership in 2001, Mr Portillo has pretty much abandoned party politics. He has quit as an MP and is now an independent-minded political pundit with the left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott on This Week on BBC One.

When he received his text message on Friday morning, Mr Twigg texted back, saying: “How about replacing Diane on the sofa next to you?” Did Mr Portillo reply? “He didn’t give me a direct answer. But Michael has stayed in touch. One thing I’ve always had in my head is that if I lost the seat I would want to be as dignified in defeat as he was back then.”

Although Mr Twigg’s career had not ascended the heights achieved by Mr Portillo, his defeat was a devastating blow for a 38-year-old politician who had only recently been promoted to be Ruth Kelly’s deputy at the Department for Education.

“I had got a really serious job and, I suppose, that gave me a misplaced confidence about this election,” he says. “On the night I wasn’t expecting to lose. I was stunned. I think I’m still stunned. The mood on the day was really good. I thought I’d be all right.

“The first time I knew I was in trouble was when the telly said so. Then they called the agents over, I saw the Tories jumping up and down — I suddenly realised that I had lost.”

Mr Twigg arrived for this interview in jeans and jumper — he has not worn a suit and tie for more than a week — clutching a document entitled Pay and Allowances for Members who Leave the House of Commons. Earlier he had been sorting out redundancy for his staff.

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