The pattern was repeated as the Tories gained Labour-held Bolton West, Corby, Derby North, Gower, Plymouth Moor View, Southampton Itchen, Telford and Vale of Clwyd.
5) Perhaps most importantly, will Mr Blair be able to gain Labour some ground against the Tories?
Two seats the SNP gained from Labour, Dunbartonshire East and Renfrewshire East, saw turnouts above 80 per cent.
Analysis of the results by The Independent shows that Ukip won more votes than the size of the Conservative majority in nine seats the Tories gained from Labour.
The seat was gained from Labour by Drax for the Conservatives at the 2010 General Election.
There may even be gains, Labour strategists hope.
Despite big gains, Labour's performance was described as "not good enough" by Shadow Chancellor Ed balls.
One of the things that we have learned, to our great regret, is just how easy it has been for a malignly ideological Tory-led government to unpick the gains Labour made.
Ed Miliband said after last year's local elections he was pleased with the gains Labour had made in Hastings and more broadly across the south.
Despite UKIP's gains, Labour remains firmly in control of Rotherham council, with 50 of the authority's 63 councillors, as only one third of the seats were up for grabs in this election.
In Birmingham, Labour has 77 seats, the Conservatives have 32, with the Lib Dems holding 12. Council leader Sir Albert Bore said: "I thought we'd make two or three gains but with what's happening across the West Midlands and the country with the UKIP gains, Labour has done well here in Birmingham.
