THE General Election of 2017 has left Britain in a mess as we enter the serious phase of Brexit negotiations with a weakened Government thanks to an opportunistic gamble by Theresa May that disastrously backfired.

But there are huge positives to be found amongst the debris, most importantly the engagement of young people in politics.

Unofficial statistics suggest that the turnout amongst under-35s was at least 12 per cent up on 2015 and that’s seriously good news for democracy.

This election will be remembered as a watershed for the use of social media – You Tube, Facebook and Twitter – in galvanising the youth vote, and the Labour Party employed it so much more effectively than the Tories.

At the same time, it is to be hoped that we have seen an historic shift away from the traditional media “hatchet job” being used as a strategic weapon in elections.

Back in April 1992, The Sun’s polling day front page famously had Neil Kinnock’s face inside a light bulb, with the headline: “If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain turn out the lights.”

The Northern Echo:

After John Major’s unexpected victory over Neil Kinnock, The Sun claimed the credit, pompously declaring: It’s The Sun Wot Won It.

On the day of the 2017 election, The Sun tried a similar tack, with a front page showing a barmy-looking Jeremy Corbin in a dustbin above the headline: “Don’t chuck Britain in the COR-BIN.”

The world, however, has moved on. In 2017, against the unstoppable tide of social media, The Sun’s front page – along with other elements of the national press – was seen as a tired old tactic. Indeed, I’d argue that it played a part in that critical galvanisation of the younger generation.

Election day front pages that are cruel, highly personal and scaremongering no longer work. Voters, especially the young, see through them.

Quite frankly, it’s high time they were dumped...in the Cor-bin.

ON a lighter election note, the image of the night for me came from the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency of Lib Dem leader Tim Farron.

It showed an independent candidate called Mr Fishfinger getting a Birdseye view of Mr Farron’s victory speech while the television ticker-tape underneath talked of the need for stable Government. You really couldn’t make it up.

The Northern Echo:

MY favourite quote of the election came from former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil, interviewing Nigel Farage on BBC on the morning after the vote: “Theresa May called an election because she wanted a mandate for her kind of breakfast,” he began.

What would Mrs May’s kind of breakfast be, I wondered on social media. “Egg on her face, I should think,” came the reply from Twitter follower Glenn Ebrey.

FOR the first time in 30 years, I didn’t spend general election night in The Northern Echo newsroom.

Instead, I was at a dinner in support of the Butterwick Hospice at beautiful Rudby Hall, a gem of a place at Hutton Rudby that I hadn’t discovered before.

Former Tyne Tees anchorman Paul Frost, always great company, was on my table and told of the time he’d been commissioned to make Those Were The Days – a souvenir DVD about the history of the hugely popular Club Fiesta, at Norton, near Stockton.

He already had interviews in the can, including Roy “Chubby” Brown, members of Herman’s Hermits, The Tremeloes, The Ivy League and various Fiesta Fawns – Teesside’s answer to the Playboy Bunnies.

Ken Dodd was appearing at the Civic Theatre in Darlington at the time so Paul seized the opportunity. He got in touch with the theatre, explained what he was doing, and requested an interview to add to his Club Fiesta collection. Ken, obliging as ever, readily agreed and happily talked on camera about his wonderful and varied experiences at the famous old Teesside venue.

“That was great, Ken,” said Paul, thanking the comedian as he made his way out.

“You’re very welcome,” replied Doddy, before adding: “Mind you, none of it’s true – I never appeared at Club Fiesta in my life.”

FINALLY, a long way from Britain’s momentous election, the “you couldn’t make it up” story of the week concerned a fella called Nicholas Sherman.

Mr Sherman, 31, was arrested for drink driving in New York. Nothing unusual about that, apart from the fact that he was dressed as the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.

Apparently, he’d been hired to play the character at a corporate event and obviously had a few too many.

It’s fair to say he was well oiled, Oh, and I can’t help wondering if he was singing “Lions and tigers and beers, oh my”. If he’d only had a half...