All down to Brown 

I’ve just done BBC World Service with Martin Bright, my counterpart at the New Statesman. We’re pitched against each other quite a lot – the theory being that I’m a right-winger, he’s a left-winger and we’ll go at each other. Problem is, we agree on most things – and I certainly won’t demur from his verdict on last night. “I don’t think anyone thought the results could be quite as devastating for Labour,” he said. “These are national issues. It’s very difficult to see this as anything else. A year ago, possibly even six months ago, people didn’t think there was a realistic prospect of a Conservative government. That has changed.”

He made two criticisms of the Tories. That the “party has overreached itself – I don’t think they are ready for government.” And next, Boris is the wrong sort of ambassador, that he will across as a toff. We have two years to see if this is right or not (I think not) but for now, the focus is on the worst result for Labour since the war.