I went to see how the Tories are handling defeat – and found Faragism and a total lack of reflection | Polly Toynbee

Even after election wipeout, the Conservatives are too blinded by ideology to see their voters don't want a Reform merger

The Bruges Group celebrated its 35th anniversary last week in the august portals of the Army and Navy club in Pall Mall in central London. The group was formed in 1989 and, in case you weren't around back then, ignited the great split in the Tory party, after Margaret Thatcher made a speech in Bruges calling a halt to any closer federalism in Europe. Though she was never mad enough to be a leaver, this group used her words to send the first Brexit snowball rolling downhill until it turned into the avalanche that finally broke the Tory party into pieces. They spread Europhobia through their party until all candidates had to test positive for Brexit. Now many of their members are joining a new rebellion, clamouring to merge with the Faragists. What you are seeing is a revolution!" one hissed at me. There's no going back!"

Days after their party's worst ever election defeat, I was expecting more of a wake. But no tears were being shed for their deceased government or fallen MPs. Instead a gleeful we told you so" filled the room, which often devolved into naked hatred for their defunct government. From a lectern decked with a portrait of Thatcher, the chair, former MP Barry Legg, said that in its 14 years in office, it's not been a Conservative government at all. It's been a big state party." The claim that One Nation took over the party" raised jeers. (Odd this, as the One Nationers were notably silent over ever-more extreme policies.)

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

This article was amended on 16 July 2024. Due to an editing error, an earlier version incorrectly said that John Redwood and Michael Howard were present at the Bruges Group meeting.