Tony Blair has secured a landslide second term for Labour.

With extent of his victory already clear in time for the morning's newspapers, the future for Conservative leader William Hague was already looking bleak. Charles Kennedy's Lib Dems had a good night on course to improve on its 1997 result of 46 seats.

Every "ray of light" for the Tories, a gain from Labour in Romford seem to be shadowed by defeats elsewhere, in Dorset South and Mid Dorset and Poole.

Tony Blair took his place in the history books, as the first Labour leader to secure a full second term, describing the moment as "extraordinary.. an historic moment".

"This country is a better country today than it was in 1997. I believe that in five years from now it will be a better country than today," he said.

Chancellor Gordon Brown, speaking after his constituency declaration, said the result was "a mandate for public services".

There was a note of caution from some quarters, however.

Reflecting on the poor turnout figures, education secretary David Blunkett said: "If we have won a majority greater than Margaret Thatcher's in 1983 ... we have to rejoice and be happy, but then draw breath and decide how to engage with people."

The Tories are left to ponder what steps to take next, with little or no real improvement in their position since electoral collapse in the 1997 election.