After the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, one thing is very clear: the two-party political system has failed this country. Friday’s results showed just how much electoral trouble both the Conservatives and Labour are now in.

Labour almost lost their deposit, coming fourth, only just ahead of the Monster Raving Loony Party. That this could happen in Wales, a bastion of Labour support for a century, is extraordinary.

The Tories had the arrogance to field the same candidate whose recall by constituents for wrongdoing caused the by-election in the first place. It’s hardly surprising that he blew an 8,000-vote majority.

We are now into new territory, with four parties – Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats (more properly named the Liberal Antidemocrats, since their new leader declared that she would not even accept a Leave vote in a second referendum) and the Brexit Party – appealing to different voters across the country. The first-past-the-post system is brutal and unpredictable in these circumstances: in June, the Tories came third, well behind the Brexit Party, because a vote for the Conservatives there meant a seat for Corbyn. It’s no wonder that even the most experienced political commentators have no idea which way it’s likely to go.