IPSWICH Conservative hopeful Ben Gummer was today looking forward to success in the next general election after his party's crushing victory in the Crewe by-election.

IPSWICH Conservative hopeful Ben Gummer was today looking forward to success in the next general election after his party's crushing victory in the Crewe by-election.

The Tories overturned a 7,000 Labour majority to take the Crewe and Nantwich by-election with a massive 17.6 per cent swing from Labour - giving new MP Edward Timpson an 8,000 majority.

Mr Gummer said the result would give a new boost to Tory supporters across the country: “Although to be honest, morale is very good anyway - we are finding on the doorsteps that people are returning to the party.

“There has been a real change since the 1980s and 1990s. What is remarkable is that the turnout was so high (60pc), it was as high as the general election, showing it was not just a win caused by Labour voters staying at home.”

Conservative leader David Cameron said the campaign marked the "end of New Labour''.

And he vowed that he would not betray the trust of the thousands of voters who turned out to vote Conservative for the first time.

He said that he would now work to put together a "broad coalition'' to oust the Labour Government and secure a return to power for the Tories at the next general election.

"Just like in the local elections, just like in the London mayoralty election, thousands of people came to vote for the Conservative Party for the first time and my message to those people is 'We will not let you down','' he told reporters as he left his west London home en route for Crewe.

Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman vowed that the Government would "redouble its efforts'' in addressing concern over the economy.

She said: “This result shows people are concerned about their prospects, worried about food bills rising and feel anxious about the state of the economy.''