The political landscape had changed dramatically since the lifeless election of 1955 with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberals all in possession of new leaders.
Harold Macmillan took over as Tory leader and PM in the aftermath of the Suez crisis of 1956.
The politically disastrous military adventure in which the British and the French attempted to seize control of the Suez canal by force saw the end of Sir Anthony Eden's brief spell in Downing Street.
Macmillan was a surprise choice as leader, with the public and pundits both expecting Rab Butler to take charge.
But he picked up the pieces and despite a stormy parliament, complete with ministerial resignations and by-election worries, the standard of living for the mass of the people rose.
Labour too was in good shape. Many of the divisions plaguing the party had largely disappeared or had been papered over by the time the election eventually arrived. The aging Clement Attlee had stepped down not long after Labour's defeat in 1955 making way for Hugh Gaitskell.
But with a consumer society growing quickly it was uncertain how well Labour's traditional values would resonate as the lives of its core voters were changing.