Tories take refuge in fantasy as local election drubbing becomes clear

From party chair Richard Holden to Andrea Leadsom and Rish! himself, their denial verged on the delusional

Spare a thought for Richard Holden. While every other senior Tory politician had sensibly chosen to lock themselves in a darkened room with a bottle of scotch and a syringe full of heroin, the Conservative party chair took one for the team. A long stint on the airwaves from soon after the polls had closed through to the following morning.

It's hard to know whether this was bravery or complete stupidity. He could be like the Japanese soldier found on a Pacific island in the 1970s who didn't know his country had surrendered in 1945 and was still trying to escape capture by the enemy.