Election night brought mixed fortunes for the smaller parties, with a victory for George Galloway being the highest profile success.

The Respect candidate took the Tower Hamlets seat from Labour's Oona King with a swing of 38 per cent.

His coalition also came second in East and West Ham, forming a new political power in East London.

The Green Party increased its share of the vote nationwide in nearly all the seats it contested. 

Their biggest gain was in the Brighton Pavilion seat, where they gained 22 per cent, moving the party into fourth place.

The British National Party also saw gains in many of the seats the party contested. While not gaining a seat, they increased their share of the vote by as much as 16 per cent in Barking.

Robert Kilroy-Silk's new Veritas party did less well. The former Labour MP managed only five per cent of the vote and fourth place in the Erewash seat.

The trend started by Martin Bell in 1997 continued as independent candidate Richard Taylor retained his Kidderminster seat.

Peter Law was also returned to Westminster as an independent MP for Blaenau Gwent.