THE anti sleaze candidate Mr Martin Bell last night claimed he was within "the narrowest of margins" of toppling Tory Mr Neil Hamilton in the Tatton constituency.
The former BBC war correspondent said canvass returns in the Conservative stronghold were showing "extraordinary" support for his campaign. Mr Bell said: "I think it is going to be extremely close. My guess is that it will be waferthin either way."
He was being supported in his campaigning by his friend, former TV heart throb David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame. Mr Soul (53) said: "People like Martin Bell can point out the need for representatives of governments to live by the mandates they are elected on."
Mr Hamilton, the MP at the centre of the "cash for questions" row, said the battle to hold on to the constituency would be "closer than ever before".
He admitted that if Labour and the Liberal Democrats voted tactically against him, his projected majority of nearly 23,000 would be cut by 13,000.
"I have to say what I hear from the polls is not reflected in the response I am getting on the door step," he said. "I had also anticipated that after all the muck thrown at me week after week it would do me an enormous amount of damage.
"It has created doubt in the minds of a number of Conservative voters but it has not featured in more than 10 per cent of the responses I have had from them. But it will inevitably be a tighter contest than ever before."
Mr Bell also criticised Mr Hamilton over his response to requests for assurances from local Conservative activists that he would resign if the Downey report eventually found that he had acted dishonourably or if he was criticised by the Tax Commissioners.
Mr Bell said Mr Hamilton's response had been that he would quit if he was found guilty of bribery and corruption or had the Tory whip permanently suspended from him. "Does this mean he will keep his seat if it is found he has acted dishonourably or if he is criticised over tax?" said Mr Bell. "I think the people of Tatton are entitled to answers to that."
Mr Hamilton said: "Would I seriously be a candidate if I thought in six weeks time I was going to be condemned as corrupt? I would have to resign my seat. Nobody in their right mind would put themselves through this if there was any substance in the allegations."