Yeah, 92 was the first election I could vote in as well, I was a few months shy of 19. I'd booked the Friday off from my YTS so I could stay up late and celebrate. As things stood, I spent most of Friday curled up in a fetal position in bed. Was still better than being at the training place though. They told me on the Monday that the place had been like a funeral.
The best thing about 1997 was knowing I could watch it stress free. The outcome was never in doubt. It was just a matter of how bad would it get for the Tories. Like I said before, I recorded it and watched it again and again for years afterwards.
I felt Blair accomplished more in his first week in office than Major had in the entire previous five years. The Tories just seemed to be in permanent damage limitation mode at the point, lurching from one crisis to another, one argument after another. Labour was such a breath of fresh air and I felt for the first time in years I could walk down the street without worrying there was some bastard politician out to get me.
I just missed out on being eligible to vote in the 92 election by 2 weeks, i remember being nervous from the exit poll then watching in despair as seats like Basildon that Labour were hoping to win staying Tory, the Tories won but only with a narrow 21 seat majority, what happened in 92 is why Labour never count their chickens even now.
I missed watching the results in 97 due to a migraine, but was great waking up seeing so many Tories had lost their seats, & had been wiped out in Scotland & Wales.
Labour winning in 97 was celebration time, finally getting rid of the Tories after 18 years, Labour winning this time it will be more relief, but sense of foreboding as what's to come, with current Tories scorched earth policy on the economy.