In the North, the Conservatives experienced unexpected retentions, increased majorities, and even some gains.
They have the same number of seats as before in Scotland. One. But even so.
They enjoyed significant gains in Wales.
They took every Lib Dem seat in the South West. This is the first time since 1679 there has been no Lib Dem, Liberal or Whig MP for the West Country.
And even the UUP is back, with two seats, one of them taken from the DUP.
The Conservatives were demolished in London, and that is newsworthy in itself, especially when seen in a larger historical context. But it is small consolation.
Those of us who said that they were no longer a national force need to think again. Urgently.
Did you see Maude on QT this evening? The Major years were a picnic compared with what the Tory party is going to go through over the next five years and he knew it...an majority of just 12, an EU referendum to tear themselves to pieces over, the strong possibility of another international financial crisis (the Euro? the ghastly situation in the Midde East? the fact that so many western govts act like they learned nothing from the last one?) coupled with the near certainty that a UK economy already teetering on the brink of deflation will be in recession again at some stage before 2020 (Osborne has not abolished the economic cycle any more than Brown did)...with the Lib Dems gone the right of the party will have no one to blame but the leadership.
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