Hamilton Crushed By Bell In Tatton

Mr Bell, who stood as an independent anti-sleaze candidate, took the seat with a majority of more than 11,000. He's likely to be the only independent MP in the new House of Commons.

Mr Hamilton, the MP at the centre of the "cash for questions" row, failed in his plea to Tory supporters not to judge him before the publication of the Downey report into the allegations against him.

"I believe this is a proud moment for the people of Tatton, though I have to say a rather humbling one for me," said Mr Bell, wearing his trademark white suit.

"It was not my victory, it was your victory. I believe you have lit a beacon which will shed a light in some dark corners and illuminate the mother of Parliaments itself. It is a message which will be heeded," he said.

He described what had happened as a "political miracle," adding: "I shall be and remain independent. I shall take no party whip. I shall serve for one term only."

He finished: "You have spoken tonight, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Mr Hamilton was clearly shaken as he realised the scale of his defeat. He described himself as "devastated" by the result.

"Although this is a set back for me personally, and a set back for the Tatton constituency, this is not the end of the road. This is not the end of my political career. We will be back as a party. I will be back as a man," he said.

Mr Hamilton attacked the "grave slurs and filth allegations" which he said he had been subjected to during the election campaign. But he added that he knew he would be vindicated when Sir Gordon Downey's report was published shortly.

He said Sir Winston Churchill had said: "Politics is far more interesting than war. In war you can be killed only once, in politics many times."

Mr Bell said later he was "all fired up" for his new role but admitted he had no idea where he would sit in the House of Commons.

"It's a real problem because I need a cross bench and there isn't a cross bench," he told BBC Breakfast News.

"I had thought of alternate parking on one side or another but I think I have to point out that there seem to be more Labour MPs as it is than can sit on one side, so it is still a bit of a question for me," he said.

Mr Bell confirmed that he was only planning to serve one term in Parliament - "as a signal that I have no personal ambitions politically beyond serving the people here".

Tatton had been one of the safest Tory seats in the country. It had been represented by Mr Hamilton since 1983.