THE British public are a gloriously unpredictable bunch! If ever there was a time and a place for the Brexit Party or Ukip to win a first seat in Parliament it was Thursday's Peterborough by-election.
Following on from Brexit's big success in the European elections, Peterborough, which voted 61 per cent leave, was ripe for the taking, especially as the by-election was caused by the disgrace of the previous Labour MP.
When the result was announced, the newly-formed Brexit Party did scoop 29 per cent of the vote, but ultimately Peterborough, by a narrow margin, elected another Labour MP who represents a party whose Brexit policy is not clear and which is becoming more remainderish by the week.
Equally unpredictably, the Lib Dems and the Greens, who did well in the Europeans by attracting all the remainers, performed averagely, and their percentages do not suggest that they are a coming force.
Perhaps the British public are cannier than they are given credit for. Perhaps they realised that the Europeans were meaningless elections and used them to send a clear message, but they know that Parliamentary elections are more nuanced.
Donald Trump's visit has brought two things into focus: we are now debating the terms of a trade deal with the US and whether we are prepared to accept America's standards, and we are again thinking about the future of the NHS – how much privatisation is acceptable?
The Brexit Party needs to work up a full range of policies, both home and abroad, if it really wants to shake up Britain's two party hierarchy.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here