The record books had to be thrown out and re-written in the aftermath of the 1997 general election.

Labour's haul of 419 seats (including the speaker) was the largest the party had ever taken. While reduced to holding just a quarter of the seats in parliament the Conservatives had 165, their worst performance since 1906.

For the Liberal Democrats the election carried mixed messages.

Their share of the vote actually fell to 16.8% while their support in terms of seats leapt up, as they took 46, the best score by a third party since 1929.

They had been helped by tactical voting, as anti-Tory voters clubbed together to vote for the party most likely to topple the Tories in their constituency.

It had been, as Michael Portillo said, a "terrible night" for the Conservatives. The electoral axe fell on him and six other Conservative cabinet ministers.

The Tories were wiped off the electoral map in Scotland and Wales and reduced to a rump in London. The Scottish National Party was now the second placed party after Labour north of the border.

But it was not all good news for New Labour. Tony Blair's victory had been achieved on the lowest turnout - 71.2% - since the war, and the party had taken a modest 43.2% share of the vote.

On the plus side New Labour had done remarkably well in taking more votes from women, the young, and the working class, and had for the first time trumped the Tories in securing more of the votes of the middle classes and owner occupiers than they did.

Martin Bell triumphed in Tatton, while the importance Europe played in the election was shown as between them the UK Independence Party and the Referendum Party took nearly a million votes.

In Northern Ireland Sinn Fein scored two victories as both Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness won seats.