The relief of getting rid of the Tories can mask the fact that we have entered potentially the most divisive political period for the politics of this country since 20 April 1968. That was the date when the rightwing Conservative minister Enoch Powell made his infamous “rivers of blood” speech railing against immigration.

At the time, hard-right parties had failed to secure parliamentary representation. But Powell’s intervention had the effect of giving permission for racist ideas to permeate the mainstream, including the Conservative party, for the next two decades. Replace Powell’s references to immigrants with Nigel Farage’s attacks on asylum seekers and we’re back to equally divisive demagoguery.

Fourteen years of austerity, economic incompetence and corruption under the Conservatives created the disillusionment and alienation from politics that Farage has been able to feed off. With a change of government, his focus now will be on damaging Labour.

The relief at the Tories’ departure will provide the new government with a honeymoon period but it’s doubtful this will last long. Labour has set out its “first steps” policy programme paid for by tax increases drawing in £7bn. But its fiscal rules, and commitment not to........

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