The Labour Party lead by James Ramsay McDonald emerges as the largest party although without an overall majority. The Liberals recorded a net increase of 19 seats to 59 and polled over 5 million votes. The election represented a big disappointment for the Liberals. The party fought on an ambitious programme and presented a credible alternative government. Having slipped to third place in 1922 the party suffered the classic third party squeeze and although the Liberals won almost a quarter of the popular vote, it gained less than 10% of the seats. The election saw the return to parliament of a number of key figures including Sir Donald Maclean (North Cornwall), Isaac Foot (Bodmin) and Sir Herbert Samuel (Darwen).