Sounds like massive complacency from the Tories. Concentrating so hard on their culture war to win over the ‘Red Wall’ they’re alienating a lot of their usual voting base, one that’s wise to their massive f*ck ups over the last couple of years.

Indeed.
The Lib Dems capitalised on local issues and perhaps other grievances.
They are the Conservative supporters "Go-to" party to register a protest and to send a message to the Government.

Edited by Willo (18 Jun 2021 9.44am)

And perhaps a much-needed slice of humble pie that never does anybody any harm on occasion.

Along with being very much how politics is meant to work although my understanding is that neither the pollsters nor the bookies saw this one coming (the rouge poll I mentioned yesterday pointed to the Lib-Dems closing the gap to less than 4% points, not a victory and certainly not by the margins involved).

I would guess some serious questions being asked within Conservative central office today because this should have been much more clearly sign-posted. Because the margin of victory for the Lib-Dems is bloody huge.

And I guess for Labour it raises the spectre of a 'Progressive Alliance' which it has been resisting because that would effectively see it cease to exist as a stand-alone party. But there is clearly an appetite for such a thing, based on what happened yesterday. And whilst turn out was significantly down on what you might see in a GE, the stats speak for themselves.

The Tories have got a bloody nose, that is for sure, and one they seemingly did not see coming, which should be the worrying bit for them.

But for Labour...does it actually have any real purpose left anymore? The Brexit Party saved its bacon in 2019 but the structual problems that underlie its very existence have not been helped in the slightest by losing their deposit.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

I cannot imagine it helping but I suspect its more to do with a mix of HS2, proposed loosening up of planning permission allied with Labour voters wanting to stick one on the Tories. Throw in a lower turnout due to the weather and it all comes together.

If I was a Tory electoral strategist what would worry me is how they have seemingly been blindsided by this. All my reading of it is that they thought this was a nailed on cert.

Shows how volatile British politics is at the moment. With an 80 seat majority it's not going to any difference, especially with Labour gifting them seats but there ain't no way Johnson is going to risk a GE before the second half of 2024. I suspect he never was going to anyway but now its a 100% certainty.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

And of course your beloved Tories would never stoop so low. Too busy handing over taxpayers’ money to their chums and donors, I’ll be bound.

The corrupt f*ckers got a bloody good hiding, and very well deserved too.

Even so, that was a big loss. And against what the polling and the bookies were saying. The Tories got outplayed. As I said, hubris impacts all of us. Key to it is to learn and move forward.

No point in blaming the Lib Dems. They are meant to be finished, washed up. They will try every trick in the book as they have nothing to lose. I am fully aware of how loathed they are by both Conservative and Labour activists given how they will lie and cheat on every level but you know what you up against.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.