The second election in less than a year was bound to be greeted with mixed feelings by the voters.
Predictable election fatigue was reflected by the decision of some broadcasters to cut back heavily on their amount of election coverage compared with February.
Interest was also muted by the opinion polls - the knife edge election contest which had taken place earlier in the year looked much more predictable with Labour opening up a strong lead.
Edward Heath attempted to catch the national mood by floating the idea of a government of ‘national unity’. But it was an idea that failed to take off as no Labour politician would serve under him and Heath seemed unprepared to make the supreme sacrifice and give up the premiership should he win.
The former Conservative MP Enoch Powell made his by now customary intervention in the election campaign. He called on his supporters to vote Labour - in order to win the chance to vote in a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EEC - while standing for the Ulster Unionists in South Down.
By the time the campaign had creaked to a halt a working Labour majority looked a good bet.