▁were ▁the ▁first ▁since ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Michael ▁Howard ▁to ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party . ▁Howard ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁good ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁to ▁confirm ▁that ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁were ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁to ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁seriously ▁consider ▁winning ▁the ▁next ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁Early ▁results ▁confirmed ▁that ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁was ▁having ▁a ▁bad ▁time . ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁John ▁Pres c ott ▁said ▁that , ▁" I ra q ▁was ▁a ▁cloud , ▁or ▁indeed ▁a ▁shadow , ▁over ▁these ▁elections . ▁I ▁am ▁not ▁saying ▁we ▁haven ' t ▁had ▁a ▁kick ing . ▁It ' s ▁not ▁a ▁great ▁day ▁for ▁Labour ". ▁ ▁However ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁were ▁not ▁making ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁g ains ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁indicated ▁a ▁complete ▁change ▁of ▁elect oral ▁fortune . ▁The ▁national ▁equivalent ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁was ▁found ▁by ▁academ ics ▁Col in ▁R all ings ▁and ▁Michael ▁Th r ash er ▁to ▁be ▁ 3 7 % ▁to ▁the ▁Conserv atives , ▁ 2 7 % ▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁ 2 6 % ▁to ▁Labour . ▁For ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁parties ▁to ▁come ▁third ▁in ▁local ▁elections ▁was ▁un he ard ▁of ▁in ▁the ▁post - 1 9 4 5 ▁period , ▁let ▁alone ▁for ▁a ▁gover ning ▁party ▁with ▁such ▁a ▁large ▁majority ▁to ▁come ▁third . ▁ ▁Even ▁in ▁the ▁North , ▁Labour ' s ▁traditional ▁heart land , ▁Labour