The Tories would need a lead of one point in the national vote simply to deny Labour an overall Commons majority. They usually lose under it because their vote is evenly spread. But the penalty proved less severe this time. But tactical voting concentrated their support, giving them 46 seats, their best result since 1929. One of New Labour's aims was to improve its appeal to middle-class voters, who traditionally vote Tory.
Opinion polls indicate that New Labour overcame the party's usually poor showing among women.
But the party's policy of promoting female candidates did not yield dividends in individual seats. As for the Tories, the campaign issues by which they set most store were all flops. Economic recovery availed them nothing. Euroscepticism was no help to Tory candidates who embraced it. Tories who said they would vote against the single currency for fear of the anti- EU Referendum Party need not have bothered.