The opinion polls in 1997, while accurately predicting a Labour landslide, overestimated the landslide. MORI, for example, gave Labour a 24-point lead just two days before polling day.
My question is:
What if the polls had been more accurate? The Tories ended up with, let's say, around 100 seats rather than 165. Labour had more than 450 seats, and the Liberal Democrats won around 80 seats. Michael Howard and Ken Clarke both lost their losts, which meant that three of the four major (no pun intended) office holders were defeated. What would it have meant for the Conservative Party and the British Right?