Mr Tony Blair's government appears still on target for a general election victory next year following Labour's success in all four of Thursday's by-elections.
With three Westminster MPs and a new member of the Scottish Parliament safely returned, there was even speculation yesterday that Labour might survive the full parliament without suffering a by-election defeat.
However, apathy was the big winner on Thursday, prompting Trade Secretary Mr Stephen Byers to acknowledge government concern at voter turnout: under 30 per cent in Preston and West Bromwich and 38.4 per cent in Glasgow.
As the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, insisted that the general election was "wide open . . . with all to play for," the leader of the Scottish National Party, Mr John Swinney, predicted that the forthcoming Falkirk West by-election would provide a more accurate picture of his party's advance.
Mr Swinney said it had been "a tall order indeed" for the SNP to win the Glasgow vacancies caused by the death of the former First Minister, Mr Donald Dewar. He challenged Labour to call the Falkirk contest immediately.
In Preston, Lancashire, there was a 9 per cent swing away from Labour. But it was shared by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, whose leader, Mr Charles Kennedy, maintained: "The by-elections show no enthusiasm for Labour, no hope for the Tories and a steady advance for the Liberal Democrats."
Mr Hague insisted: "It's the Conservatives who increased their share of the vote across the constituencies, particularly the two in England. That is steady progress on top of what we have achieved in elections earlier this year and is encouraging. "We have to work harder still for the general election but it shows it is going in the right direction."
However, the Scottish Secretary, Dr John Reid, hailed an "excellent" set of results, saying the Conservatives had to be winning government seats at this stage in the parliament if they were to have any chance of victory in the general election.
"Governments traditionally do badly in by-elections," he said: "In the run-up to the last election the Tory government was losing its safest seats with swings of up to 30 per cent.
"If there was any public enthusiasm for the idea of William Hague as prime minister, the Tories would be taking seats like Preston and West Bromwich. Mr Hague will be a very worried man."