This heralds a new political age, not a new Labour dawn

All general elections are historic, but some are more historic than others. When we look back at the 2024 election in years to come, it will undoubtedly prove to be one of the most momentous ever, not least because it reveals in so many ways quite how much the country has changed.

- GUY WALTERS

The most obvious transformation is in the political map of Britain. Not so long ago, it would have been utterly unthinkable to suppose there would be no Conservative seats in Central London, Wales, Oxfordshire or Cornwall.

And yet, as of today, it is now possible to drive from the north of Kent, through the capital, along the M4, and then all the way down to Land's End and to only cross through five Tory constituencies. The idea that southern England is now a place merely peppered with blue, rather than carpeted with it, is certainly historic.

But it is not just the South where the Tories have been routed; it is also the Midlands and the North, where the red wall has been well and truly rebuilt, for you can drive from Eastbourne to Hadrian's Wall, and only pass through one Tory constituency. As if to rub salt in the Tories' considerable wounds, it is notable that all the constituencies held by their former leaders from 2010 Cameron's Witney, May's Maidenhead, Johnson's Uxbridge, and Truss's South West Norfolk - have eschewed their Tory candidates.

One can geekily pore over the new map for hours, and find so many other geo-political quirks, but there, amongst the red, yellow, and yes, blue, are the tell-tale signs of change that has come and will surely continue to come.

These are indicated by the nine patches of green and turquoise, the seats now occupied by parties that should be dismissed no longer as quirky also-rans - the Greens and Reform. Perhaps it is too soon to say, but their presence in the Commons indicates a revolution, or political revolt as Farage put it. So too does the fact that North Antrim no longer has an MP called Paisley, for the first time since 1970. Again, the seeds of another revolution, perhaps one to fragment the DUP, along with the fact that Sinn Fein is now the largest party in Northern Ireland.