THE Christmas election results will be a hard and painful lesson for Labour but the party must be prepared to swallow some unpalatable truths if they are to stand a chance of forming a credible opposition which will be needed.

Like the EU referendum result, the party has been miles apart from its traditional voters on the big issues of the provinces.

It came back to bite them at polling stations – three long years after the remain vote got a bloody nose. For all his shortcomings, Jeremy Corbyn has reinvigorated the grassroots movement and drawn young people into politics like few other political leaders in this country ever have. No more can it be said that politics is the interest of only a certain demographic.

They are, however, the age group which consistently turns out when it counts.

Similarly Boris Johnson would do well to focus on where he didn’t win. His tiresomely predictable campaign slogan became a form of subliminal brainwashing and he shamelessly dodged any real scrutiny from the master skewer of politicians, Andrew Neil. Too much time was spent on PR stunts not policy - reducing the election to a pantomime with his ‘Love Actually’ spoof and smashing through polystyrene walls in a tractor. Politics is more complicated than going viral. There are big issues facing the country.