▁he ▁married ▁Mar ion , ▁Count ess ▁of ▁H are wood , ▁whose ▁former ▁husband ▁was ▁a ▁first ▁cousin ▁to ▁the ▁Queen . ▁After ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁by - e lection ▁vict ories ▁and ▁local ▁government ▁g ains , ▁an ▁elect oral ▁break through ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁looked ▁pla us ible ▁when ▁He ath ▁called ▁a ▁general ▁election ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁In ▁that ▁election , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁million ▁votes ▁( 1 9 . 3 % ▁of ▁those ▁cast ), ▁the ▁Liber als ▁achieved ▁by ▁far ▁their ▁best ▁election ▁result ▁since ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁but ▁under ▁the ▁first - p ast - the - post ▁voting ▁system ▁this ▁large ▁vote ▁translated ▁into ▁only ▁ 1 4 ▁seats . ▁However , ▁as ▁neither ▁major ▁party ▁won ▁an ▁overall ▁majority , ▁these ▁seats ▁gave ▁Thor pe ▁( wh ose ▁personal ▁majority ▁in ▁North ▁Dev on ▁increased ▁to ▁ 1 1 , 0 7 2 ) ▁significant ▁le verage . ▁He ▁was ▁briefly ▁in ▁coal ition ▁discuss ions ▁with ▁He ath , ▁who ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁give ▁cabinet ▁posts ▁to ▁Thor pe ▁and ▁other ▁senior ▁Liber als . ▁Thor pe ▁later ▁denied ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁any ▁serious ▁prospect ▁of ▁agreement , ▁and ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁Harold ▁Wilson ▁formed ▁a ▁minor ity ▁Labour ▁government . ▁In ▁the ▁second ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁general ▁election , ▁in ▁October , ▁Wilson ▁achieved ▁a ▁narrow ▁majority ; ▁the ▁Liber als ▁lost ▁ground , ▁with ▁ 5 .