LABOUR ALL THE WAY: Blair with his supporters outside 10, Downing Street; papers celebrate a Labour win.

As the sun rose over the Thames, Britain's new prime minister stood before the world media and irrepressible young supporters and declared: ``A new dawn has broken, has it not? And it is wonderful.'' A cheer went up and Tony Blair, his voice hoarse with passion, said: ``The British people have put their trust in us and it is a moving and a humbling experience.'' As supporters cheered, and cameras flashed, Blair said: ``The size of our likely majority now imposes a special sort of responsibility on us. We were elected because as a party today, we represent the whole of the nation and we will govern for the whole of the nation.''

The mood was electric and supporters who had gathered around London's Royal Festival Hall and on Waterloo Bridge clapped and chanted ``Tony, Tony''. The hall was bathed in an incandescent red light, and from a distance, down the river, Big Ben and the Westminster were etched clearly against the brightening sky. As the sun glinted on the water, Blair told the nation: ``The British people have given us the chance to serve and serve we will with all our hearts and all our minds.''

The first train going south over Waterloo Bridge slowed as it crossed over and honked in recognition of what so many young people who had come to see their prime minister described as a ``historic day for Britain''.

The humility that Blair said he felt was not shared by his supporters, whose chants of ``we have won...Labour has won'' cut through the clear morning air. Triumphal chants from football stands were modified for the occasion and several hundred revellers belted out: ``We're Coming Home, We're Coming Home, John Major's On the Dole''.

After 18 years of waiting, for many 18 years of not knowing an alternative, this was the least one could expect. There was a rock concert feel to Labour's celebrations in London. Party workers danced to what seemed like a continuing playing record of Labour's campaign theme. Instamatic cameras flashed as Labour activists captured their own personal moments of collective triumph. Staid men in suits, who two days ago were briefing the press on the Labour campaign, tapped their feet and shook their hips in time to the D-Ream song: It can only get better, now that you've found me. The raucous supporters crowded around the hall's exit, raising a cheer for every person who walked out of the private celebrations for party workers. Labour's Deputy Leader Robin Cook managed not to get his hair mussed. But Stephen Twigg, unknown until early this morning, received the most rapturous response. Twigg unseated the Defence Secretary and Conservative leadership contender, Michael Portillo, by an 18-point swing. The happy mob clapped and sang a version of a well-known song: Where has Portillo gone, far, far away.

Twigg did his best to deal with tens of proferred hands like a pro.Away from the celebrations, London was waking to a working day. At Smithfield's meat market in the East End, loaders and butchers had already been at work for a few hours. A red rosette perked up the blood-splattered overalls of Tom, a loader. He was thrilled with the election results. ``Eighteen years is a long time to wait.'' Were most people here happy? Tom launched into a working class critique of the Tories. ``They forgot where they came from.'' Cafes and sandwich shops were doing brisk business. At a greasy spoon run by a Chinese family, some of the revellers from the Royal Festival Hall settled down to a ``full English breakfast''. They raised a toast of tea and watered-down coffee to ``victory''. ``God,'' said Amir, ``is a socialist.'' ``God is New Labour,'' countered Paul. ``he hasn't been particularly socialist the last 18 years.'' Felicity, who works in the fashion industry, admitted that she had voted Lib-Dem, but had come with friends to the South Bank to ``savour a moment in history''. Before the markets opened at 8.30 a.m., a group of traders came in for breakfast. They shared the excitement of Tom and the rabble of revellers: `` Brilliant result, isn't it? And Michael Portillo losing, that was brilliant.''

John Nixon walked in, in green overalls and fluorescent protective jacket. He turned out to be one of Tom's working class Conservatives. Was he happy with the election outcome? ``God help this country,'' he muttered under his breath. ``I am a patriot. Tony Blair and his like will give away the traditions of this country to Europe, miles will be turned into kilometres. and we'll have to drive on the other side of the road.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.