Landslide for Labour

Polling stations reported a mixed turnout until mid-morning. In some parts of London, however, there were queues outside polling booths which opened at 7 am, as people waited to vote before going to work. In Britain, voter turnout is normally high acirc;euro;ldquo;70 per cent or higher acirc;euro;ldquo; and what is predicted to be the hottest May Day since polls began, is likely to ensure a higher than average turnout.

The leaders were out early. John Major cast his vote in his Huntingdon constituency, near London. The Prime Minister said he was feeling 8220;entirely confident and very relaxed.8221; Tony Blair voted in Sedgefield, in North East England, a constituency that he has represented since 1983. Blair was accompanied by his wife and their three young children Ewan, 13, Nicholas 11 and Kathryn 9. Asked if the Conservatives would be out tomorrow, Blair maintained the circumspection of the last six weeks, saying, 8220;that depends on the people8221;.

On the streets, it8217;s just another normal working day. Apart from the odd party car, festooned with stickers, ferrying elderly or disabled voters to polling booths, there is no real sign of an election. Voters have 8220;polling cards8221; identifying them. They hand these back once they have voted. Polling booths, in churches, in gyms, on basketball courts, primary schools and youth centres, have small signs indicating their temporary use of the election.

Signs for the Ingestre Road booth in North London led into a laundry; someone apparently had drawn the arrow pointing in the wrong direction. A local council van had brought a group of old people, some in wheelchairs, to vote. In the polling booth at the Delancy Road sports centre, several elderly voters had left without voting because they could not get up the stairs.