Tories face loss of St Albans as candidate fails to impress voters

Lib Dems could be handed victory by disillusioned Conservatives and tactical Labour voters

Daniel Humphrey, a St Albans entrepreneur who set up the country's first whisky subscription club, might have been part of the former Conservative leader David Cameron's blueprint for the "big society". He loves the city he grew up in, plays in several sports teams, worked with local councillors on air pollution initiatives, and organised a whisky festival in St Albans this summeras part of an effort to build community spirit.

St Albans, in the London commuter belt, feels like a picture of conservative prosperity to a casual visitor, with its Norman cathedral - sheltering one of Britain's oldest Christian shrines - elegant period homes and hillside high street of boutiques and smart cafes.