Page "Enoch Powell" Paragraph 77

Powell, in an interview on 26 February, said he would be voting for Helene Middleweek, the Labour candidate, rather than the Conservative Nicholas Budgen.

Powell did not stay up on election night to watch the results on television and when on 1 March Powell picked up his copy of The Times from his letterbox and saw the headline " Mr Heath's general election gamble fails ", he reacted by singing the Te Deum.

He later said: " I had had my revenge on the man who had destroyed the self-government of the United Kingdom ".

The election result was a " hung parliament ".

Although the Tories had won the most votes, Labour finished five seats ahead of the Conservatives.

The national swing to Labour was 1 %; 4 % in Powell's heartland, the West Midlands conurbation ; and 16 % in his old constituency ( although Budgen won the seat ).

According to Telegraph journalist Simon Heffer, both Powell and Heath believed that Powell was responsible for the Conservatives ' losing the election.