Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, has a point.
Where, he asks in the wake of the Newport West by-election, is the voter uprising against establishment elites?
Good question.
Labour retained the seat, the Conservatives came second, UKIP increased its vote slightly but there was little sign of an 'anti-establishment protest', and 'the smaller parties’ totals are derisory':
So, come to think of it, is that of all the contestants. Turnout is down by over a third – from 43,438 at the last general election to 23,515. That’s poor, of course, but by no means exceptionally low: nothing like the 18.2 per cent record low at Manchester Central in 2012.
In other words, for all the political shenanigans in Westminster, don't expect a revolution now or in the future.
It's not the British way and our despicable governing class know that, which is why they will continue to take advantage of our general good nature.
Take my own constituency. Fifty-four per cent voted to leave the EU. Despite that our local Conservative MP has voted consistently to thwart Brexit.
I've heard nothing to suggest he will be challenged or deselected and it's such a safe seat that I fully expect him to retain it at the next election, assuming he stands on the Tory ticket.
Btw, Matthew Evans, the Conservative candidate in the Newport West by-election, is pro-Brexit and a smoker (an unapologetic one) so it's a great pity he didn't get elected.
We need all the support we can get in parliament and Matthew is a familiar face at our annual party conference events.
He's also the proud owner of a Forest ashtray like this one. Need I say more?