The advantage, or disadvantage if you like, of having been a Liberal Democrat for so long is that you’ve seen triumph and disaster over the years. The pain of seeing friends and acquaintances lose seats not because they’d performed badly as individuals but because of a national swing against the Party, especially during the Coalition years, will never be forgotten. And so, whilst the past week has been extremely enjoyable, I’m trying not to get carried away.

The one emotion that dominated our travails between 2010 and 2016 was sadness. We expected a kicking but accepted it as a penance for doing things we’d rather not have done (and a bunch of things that we were, and remain, proud of). The Conservatives are different. Whilst some of them, especially the Editorial Team at Conservative Home, have been fairly philosophical about things, there is a sense of anger amongst some of their activists and supporters, arguing that they aren’t right-wing enough, not Conservative enough.

That anger suggests that the Conservatives will have a long road back towards electoral rehabilitation, even if an incoming Labour administration struggles to turn the country around.

Meanwhile, the election results mean more Liberal Democrat councillors and, obviously, more Liberal Democrats with influence over the future of their communities both as majority administrations and in coalitions with others. Andrew Stunell would have been in his element, advising here, supporting there. His role during the Coalition support isn’t always appreciated, but his credibility amongst the local government community, his experience of how coalitions are built (and maintained) and his quiet influence behind the scenes was central to creating a relationship that could last. He’ll be greatly missed.

Today, I find myself celebrating a team in blue as Ipswich celebrates the promotion to the Premier League of our local football team. It’s a reminder of one of the things that brings communities together. It’s also a reminder that, with the right leadership team, and active support, you can recover from years of decline. It is, perhaps, a metaphor for the Liberal Democrats, in that we’ve had our tough years too, and there’s been quite a lot of criticism of our management.

I suspect that the results will offer grounds to support the argument that their strategy for the General Election is the right one, whilst failing to quieten the concerns of those who question a perceived lack of philosophical heft in our campaigning. Campaigns are, by their very nature, more managerial and less inspirational than they used to be – the science of campaigning has changed how things are done, much as some of us regret that. There is an industry of messaging and outreach, and our media encourage soundbites over policy espousing.

But, regardless, as liberals, we have to campaign to get as many of our number elected whenever the election is called. That doesn’t mean that the strategy shouldn’t be challenged – we’re liberals and we don’t believe in that sort of thing – but there will come a point when rallying round the flag will be what’s needed most.

And with that thought, I’ll leave you to enjoy your Bank Holiday. I’ve got a victory parade to watch…