To Labour's tremendous shock the Conservatives pulled off their third general election victory in a row, and what is more they had done it in style.
It was the first time that century any party had managed such success, an achievement made all the more remarkable as the Tories had seen their majority rise with each successive victory at the ballot box.
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan presided over an increasingly prosperous nation, and his 100-seat majority had been helped along with a shamelessly electioneering Budget soon before the polls.
But for Labour, running a better campaign with a more united party than for many years, the defeat stung. The question was now being asked whether Labour could ever hope to win again.