Thread by @jonlis1

I feared the ‘Blue Wall’ was wishful thinking, that there would be too many loyal Tories in the south and the anti-Tory vote would always split too much to make a difference. But this was not a slender win. It was a landslide. Change is possible if you actually vote for it.

This is the Tories’ key danger. They’re replicating Labour’s key error, taking their traditional vote for granted and complacently assuming that a radical change in emphasis can win new supporters while also magically keeping the old ones. Sometimes the magic runs out.

The other point here is that Labour was utterly, utterly destroyed. The party is playing by the old rules and will be defeated by them. If Labour wants to take power ever again it needs to work with other parties, hold noses, make agreements.

This result wasn’t just a demand for political change but political intelligence. Voters knew the Lib Dems were the biggest anti-Tory party so they voted for them. We can thank them for understanding politics even if our political leaders can’t.

Let this be the start of things to come. Johnson needs to know that his forever culture war will have consequences and that his calamities will be remembered. If Starmer has any usefulness at all he will be asking Ed Davey for a meeting.