The three 'C's' that explain Boris's historic election win

This was an election as important and as divisive for the UK as Margaret Thatcher’s victory in 1979. Vast numbers of British people will never be reconciled to Boris Johnson as prime minister or to Brexit. In fact, a whole nation, Scotland, is already asking permission to leave.

My assumption, however, is that Johnson will go Red Tory rather than born-again-Thatcherite. Because he will want to capitalise on the disaffection from Labour of vast numbers of its traditional supporters in the Midlands and north of England.

So Labour will have its work cut out to look like a party of government any time soon, even if it finds a more unifying leader than Jeremy Corbyn. But there is too much to say about the consequences of what has happened. So, for now, I want to say a bit more about the ‘why’ rather than the ‘where next’.

There are three things that stand out for me about the earthquake – and they all begin with ‘C’.