Why we can’t be sure that Theresa May won’t blow it

We’ve just had our pre-election meeting at The Spectator, and agreed the usual drill for the big night. Election day itself is dead: we relax and steel ourselves for the evening. There’ll be the normal 8.30pm curry as we wait for the exit poll and we’ll lay on some wine (and desk space) for contributors who’ll be near our Westminster office. Katy Balls will stay up late – that’s how she likes it – and I’ll try to grab some sleep early and come into the office for 2.30am. Katy, James Forsyth and Tom Goodenough will do the night shift; Will Heaven, John O’Neill and I will do the early morning shift. We’ll record a podcast after the 10pm exit poll, which we probably won’t need to revise because they’re usually right. Our plan is based around the consensus result: a comfortable (c70-seat) win for Theresa May.

And if, heaven forbid, there’s a hung parliament or Jeremy Corbyn triumphs then we have a contingency plan.