Day 1848

It's all we had to. It's 2.42 am - with half the results in, projections are Lab 417, Con 157, Lib 55. It's a landslide, and I shall not forget this day, whatever comes after. Average swing is 9½% to Labour, 18% in some places.

Was up at 6 am, voted at 7am, quite a queue already. Made sure I was busy at work. Beautiful weather, calm, sunny, almost cloudless.

Got rather nervous in the evening, watched the election Blackadder III. My doubts were dispersed by the exit poll on the stroke of ten - 47-29-18. Sunderland South followed the pattern, swinging at 10.45 by 11% (2.4% last time). Labour's first gain was Edgbaston and they went on to win all sorts of unlikely places - Romford, Ilford, Basildon (sweet) to name but a few. The projected majority is about 185. That's fifteen more than Attlee's.

Tony Blair was obviously as pleased as I was. He will be Prime Minister. Well done Tony.

Large total of Liberal seats, as many as 1932 and Lloyd George. 55! It's double 23 and more. But Labour 420! I don't think they've ever had more than 400. They've just gained Finchley - who'd believe it?

Tory ministers have lost their seats left, right and centre. The Tories are now the Opposition and busy arguing among themselves.

This is fantastic. It's the Glorious Dawn. It's a victory on a bigger scale than 1945. It's a landslide and more, an earthquake, an asteroid impact. Bliss is it in this dawn to be alive. Well worth waiting for, and I've waited 18 years for this.

Michael Portillo has just lost his seat to Labour. It's unbelievable. I said not to tell me there's nothing coming. I heard the ghost train rumbling along the track to set them free. 'The train arriving at Platform 1 is the ghost train, ten years delayed.'

Martin Bell won Tatton. Taped the best results and analysis into blank bits on the 1987 election/Video Jukebox tape.

It's the end of 18 years of Toryism. It's really over. Nightmare on Downing Street - will it ever end? Yes. It has. We actually have stopped the bastards. I've been privileged to witness the biggest Labour victory ever.

It is the Glorious Dawn. It's here. At last.

Tony Benn mentioned campaigning in 1935 and 1945, and being at Labour headquarters when Attlee came back from Potsdam, and seeing the look on his face when he heard the result. Neil Kinnock said it was 'pure unalloyed joy'. It's a pity John Smith isn't here to see it, but Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.

The crowd was waiting outside the Festival Hall for Tony Blair to arrive and speak, which he's just done. A passing train driver blew his siren in support, to enormous cheers.