It was always a gamble to call a snap election and Theresa May’s decision to do so was particularly surprising in view of her innate caution. Indeed, she had consistently ruled one out on the grounds that it would cause instability on the eve of Brexit talks.

But, fatefully, Mrs May was tempted to abandon her instinctive wariness by the electoral opportunities afforded by the apparent weakness of the Labour Party and the unpopularity of Jeremy Corbyn.

Rarely has a prime minister made such a calamitous misjudgment. We need to go back to Edward Heath’s “Who governs?” election in February 1974 to find a recent historic parallel. Unlike Heath, however, Mrs May has ended up leading the largest party, albeit one without an overall majority. But with the support of the 10 Democratic Unionists she can form a minority government and has the constitutional duty to do so.

It was remarkable that in her speech in Downing Street after meeting the Queen she failed to acknowledge her personal responsibility for a woeful campaign that promised strength and stability only to deliver uncertainty and weakness at a critical moment in the nation’s history.