Across the country there is a wide spread of anti-Conservative activism, ranging from revitalised leftist trade unions to genteel liberal “returners”. Beyond the “let’s get rid of this lot” consensus, nobody could hold such a disparate coalition together. I conclude that an unspoken, informal pact between the opposition parties will be central to the next election, and then that a coalition is likely after it.

How Starmer and Davey handle themselves will be crucial. It will be tricky. The Conservatives will warn, loudly and repeatedly, about cynical deals followed by chaos. Admittedly, right at the moment, it’s not a very easy argument for them to make, but it will be an uneasy time for the opposition parties. The obvious, ruthless thing for a coalition to do would be to introduce electoral reform and dish Conservative England. But nobody will say this out loud – indeed, it will be denied thrice and three times thrice. And any anti-Tory deal which granted the SNP the promise of a second Scottish independence referendum in the short term would be incendiary.

So, after a brief jig of delight at what the voters of Tiverton and Wakefield have done, the hardest strategic thinking now must be on the left.
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What has really been lacking all along is a Michael Heseltine figure, in the sense of a major player prepared to stand up publicly and offer themselves to the Tories as an alternative to a seemingly tough and determined leader. It’s not about rules. It’s about momentum. This can only be done by somebody with the self-confidence, daring and philosophical grounding to say to the party: “He’s no good. You know it. I can do better. Come here. Follow me.” Does such a person exist?