the hard work starts for new people at the helm...

Commissioner Matthew Scott described the catastrophe that befell them as “potentially existential”.

- By Simon Finlay

A (former) back bencher put it slightly more succinctly when he said: “Reform is the new Conservative Party. They have nicked many of the values of traditional Conservatism and they appeal in a way that Thatcher did 40 years ago.

“How we build back from here is impossible to know.”

Reform UK inherits some of the problems that ousted county council leader Roger Gough soon found when he had 60-odd in the chamber at County Hall in 2021.

The sheen of victory tarnishes very quickly when the day-to-day business has to be done.

Once the cabinet and deputy cabinet jobs are doled out, there will still be more than 30 sitting on the back benches wondering why they were not picked.