A lot of mutuals are expressing despair about British politics, and I don't want to chide or contradict anyone, because I don't know what your life is like or how vulnerable you are. And yes, things are pretty shit whatever your perspective. But, to me, the Tories sound scared.

2. I mean, Wootton breathlessly urging Johnson to crack down on 'wokeism' before it's 'too late'. This could just be client journalism florid rhetoric... but I think he, and others like him, are genuinely terrified. And considering the populist victories they're riding on...

3. that's astonishing, isn't it? If they're so confident of decades of success, why are they trying to ban protest and disenfranchise people in plain daylight? All this frantic blithering about flags being raised over every primary school to instil some patriotism. Why?

4. They know the young are rejecting their values in droves. Soon, no electoral system, however rigged, will save them from being an angry, impotent stub in national life. This populism looks like an overwhelming wave. But maybe it's actually a long, dying wheeze.

5. I'm not arguing for complacency. I mean, Jesus, we're in a climate emergency, and time is of the essence. I'm often pretty close to throwing up my hands myself. But those cracks that let the light in... they might just be getting wider.