For David Cameron today is a day to celebrate. He will almost certainly travel north, probably to Bury, to make the point that for the first time in a generation the Conservatives are back as a proper national force.

He is of course hoping to return to London tonight to raise Boris Johnson’s hands in the air after victory in his epic battle to bundle Ken Livingstone out of City Hall.

With two-thirds of the results in this morning it is clear that the party is on course for a hat-trick few dared believe possible: gains of more than 200 seats, more than 42 per cent of the national vote and victory in London.

The capture of Southampton, Harlow and Maidstone councils all have significance to the national scene and will disturb Labour MPs in marginal seats in those areas.

Labour is now on course for a double whammy - mauled in the country and losing the capital’s mayoral race. A senior party figure has told The Times that it concentrated a “disproportionate” amount of its reduced resources on defending London and had left itself exposed to the hammering it took in councils elsewhere.

The political consequences of the row over the abolition of the 10p tax band are clear in that Labour has suffered its biggest setbacks in its own heartlands. The collapse to a projected 24 per cent of the national share - a humiliating third place for Gordon Brown - appears to be largely the result of the party’s core voters staying away.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, is seeking to put the best gloss on what is broadly a disappointing night for his party. He gained Hull but not Oldham or Warrington and can only claim to have held steady.

For Mr Brown the relaunch starts today. He is clinging to the hope that Mr Livingstone may yet scrape home to spoil the Tory party. Tory insiders, however, believe that Mr Johnson is set to cap their night of triumph.

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• All that glitters is not sold in Wright’s world
• Believe it or not, Big Brother is your friend