When Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson was returned to office in 1966 he had managed to trade a majority of just one seat when the election was called for a thumping 96-seat lead in the new House of Commons.

The political landscape had turned upside in just a few years as the Tories and Labour swapped places in the time between Macmillan's election in 1959 and Wilson's victory.

The Conservatives were not alone in being despondent, as the Liberals had seen their share of the vote nearly halve as Labour carried all before it.

The party may have increased its number of MPs to 12 but its dream of replacing Labour as an alternative to the Tories was in ashes.