1997 was the 18th year of a Conservative government and, despite their polling advantage, the expectations of a Labour landslide were strangely muted. That was because five years earlier John Major had been unexpectedly re-elected – for 1992 was the year when all the opinion polls got it wrong.

Nine days before the election, an opinion poll was conducted by Mori. It was reported in The Times on 1 April that Labour was on 43% and the Conservatives on 35%. Just over a week later, in the election itself, the Conservatives won 42% of the national vote, and Labour 34% – either a big and late shift in opinion or terrible polling errors.