The low turnout at the general election has cast a pall over Labour's victory.

The country is set for its lowest poll turnout since 1918, just below 60 per cent, meaning that less than one in four potential voters may have ended up backing the new Labour government.

David Blunkett warned that the cost of disengagement could be high.

"People are switched politics. They are disenchanted with representative democracy. We've got to draw breath and decide how to reengage with people... it would be very foolish indeed if we didn't note the signals and we didn't take that message very seriously," he said.

John Prescott took a different tack, blaming the Tories for making it "clear you should not vote to give a big majority to Labour" and Gordon Brown said that the turnout would detract from Labour's mandate.

"I do not think you should diminish form the strength of the Labour argument and the fact we are winning the battle of ideas in this campaign by concentrating simply on the turnout," said Brown.

The Labour-supporting Mirror newspaper has described Labour's win as a "Blandslide" because of the low turnout.

It also issues a stern warning to the party that it should not indulge in post-election celebration.

Its front page features pictures of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Prescott and Robin Cook with the headline "What the hell are you lot looking so smug about? Get Back to Work".

The Sun rounds on minister Lord Falconer for last night blaming the media and the Sun in particular for the low turnout in the election. The paper describes it as "The turnout they deserved".

However the paper tried its best to maximise the vote by taking electors to polling stations in their battlebus accompanied by three models.

Their campaign was "mammorable" and "We get 'em out to vote" the Sun declares.