Labour won the general election despite obtaining less than 36 per cent of the total votes cast. Thanks to an inbuilt advantage in the way the electoral map of Britain is drawn, Tony Blair could have triumphed with an even smaller proportion, perhaps even below 30 per cent, according to some experts. It is estimated that last week the Conservatives would have needed 41 per cent of votes cast to secure a one-seat majority in the House of Commons. Labour, by contrast, could have achieved a similar result with just 29 per cent.

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