However, 14 years in government and a punishing general election had sapped morale and resources from Conservative headquarters.

Rebuilding HQ was an immediate priority when I won the leadership contest. Like a new chief executive taking over a company in distress, I’ve set about making critical changes and, most importantly, bringing in the money.

In my first quarter as leader, I raised more money than Labour, Reform and the Lib Dems combined. Working with my co-chairmen Nigel Huddleston and Dominic Johnson, we have started the long road to making CCHQ the world-class campaigning organisation I promised in the leadership contest. But it will take time.

Which brings me to the “bloodbath” of the local elections confidently predicted to me by that sage MP many months ago.

The results confirm he was correct. But to be honest, it wasn’t a controversial prediction to make. The last time this set of elections was fought was in 2021. Boris Johnson – coming off the post-Covid vaccine bounce, with no Reform and a Starmer-led Labour that was still struggling to throw off the stench of Jeremy Corbyn – crushed that vote four years ago.

The Conservatives won the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool for the first time in our history, and took over two thirds of council seats. It was an unprecedented success.

Even in better times, defending the 2021 result would have been a tough ask. After last year’s historic defeat, and with protest votes cutting across every ballot box, we knew Thursday would be hard. I’m deeply sorry to see so many capable, hard-working Conservative councillors lose their seats. They didn’t deserve it – and they weren’t the reason we lost.