Last night the British people voted emphatically for “none of the above”. It was not obvious that this option was on the ballot paper but voters found a way to deliver the outcome they wanted. They were clear that they were not fans of Theresa May. Her authority is non-existent. She herself said: “If I lose just six seats, I will lose this election.” Team May lost twice that number. As an unelected premier, she had every right to seek a mandate. But she failed to frame what the election was about. She made much of the fact that she didn’t play the “political games” of others but voters never believed her decision to call a snap election was anything other than a naked attempt to grab a landslide. They called her out.

The promised debate on the details of Brexit never happened. Instead, the Conservative manifesto made a disastrous foray into social care that was concealed from the Cabinet; it should have been hidden from voters too. The spectacular U-turn that followed, reported in this paper first, torpedoed the Prime Minister’s central claim to offer strength and stability. More broadly, the Conservatives have moved away from the economic and social liberalism that had proved a winning combination for the party and the country. The strident tone on immigration and the anti-business rhetoric put off metropolitan Britain. The Conservatives lost their majority because they left the centre ground. If the country is, as some say, dividing between those who favour an open, modern society over those wedded to a closed, backward-looking one, then the Tories should be on the side of the open optimists, while helping those who feel left behind. The alternative is a dead-end for Conservatism.

We now have a minority Conservative government that is in office but not in power. Its majority depends on the caprice of 10 Democratic Unionists in Northern Ireland. The DUP does not support some central tenets of the Government’s economic and welfare plans. In this topsy-turvy world, the decisions that affect London will now be taken in Belfast. That is not a sustainable position; this paper will subject it to intense scrutiny, starting today.

But if voters rejected the Conservatives, they did not embrace their opponents. With a vacant political centre, this should have been the Lib-Dems’ night. It wasn’t. It would have been better if Tim Farron had lost his seat and Nick Clegg kept his. North of the border, the SNP lost more than 20 seats: their dream of another independence referendum is over thanks to Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.

Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters are celebrating today. He has undeniably established a connection with younger voters seeking more authentic politics. But it’s a connection secured through false claims that tuition fees can be abolished without harming universities, enterprise penalised without costing jobs, and public services supported on the back of a weak economy. A sober look at Labour’s result would reveal that it too failed. This was an election which the Left could have won, if they had a leader with broad appeal. Instead, they had their third election defeat in a row. While the party remains captured by the hard Left, it is difficult to see how it can avoid future defeat.

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures 31 show all General Election Night 2017 - In pictures 1/31 Theresa May waiting in Maidenhead for the result to be announced Alastair Grant/AP 2/31 Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn at the Election count in Islington Jeremy Selwyn 3/31 Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey, Independent candidate Mr Fishfinger and Labour candidate Eli Aldridge following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Dave Thompson/Getty Images 4/31 Armed police outside the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London Yui Mok/PA 5/31 Vince Cable pictured with his wife Rachel, is elected once again in Twickenham after losing his seat in 2015 Alex Lentati 6/31 Nick Clegg loses his Sheffield Hallam seat and is no longer an MP Sky News 7/31 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts as her party loses their seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Robert Parry/EPA 8/31 Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, right, tries to high-five with Labour's Emily Thornberry after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London Frank Augstein/AP 9/31 Ballot boxes are run in during the count at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre as the general election count begins Ian Forsyth/Getty Images 10/31 Boris Johnson at the Brunel Indoor Athletic Centre for the declaration of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency which he retained Rex Features 11/31 Zac Goldsmith with his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith Alex Lentati 12/31 Close call for Zac Goldsmith as a recount is called for Richmond Park Alex Lentati 13/31 Labour supporters react as Paul Sweeney (not pictured) is announced as the new MP for Glasgow North East for the British Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena EPA 14/31 UKIP leader Paul Nuttall at the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston during the counting Joe Giddens/PA 15/31 Labour's Rupa Huq celebrates with her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq, after increasing her majority from 274 to 13,807 in Ealing Central and Acton Matt Writtle 16/31 Displays show the current rate of the British pound against the Japanese yen and a news program reporting on the British general election at a foreign money brokerage in Tokyo Roru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images 17/31 Theresa May leaving CCHQ this morning Jeremy Selwyn 18/31 Police watch as counting staff sort through ballots at a counting centre in Islington, London Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images 19/31 Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's speaks after retaining her seat in Hastings Kevin Coombs/Reuters 20/31 Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy and Joint-chief of staff Fiona Hill leave Conservative Party HQ in Westminster Rick Findler/PA 21/31 Patrons watch the results for Britain's election in London. Alex Salmond loses his seat Peter Nicholls/Reuters 22/31 Chuka Umunna kisses with his wife, Alice Sullivan at the London Borough of Lambeth UK Parliamentary Elections Lucy Young 23/31 Prime Minister Theresa May waits with other candidates for the results to be declared at the count centre in Maidenhead Geoff Cadick/AFP/Getty Images 24/31 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh Jane Barlow/PA 25/31 Vote counters wait for Ballot boxes to arrive at the Peter Paine Performance Centre where the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness Getty Images 26/31 Kate Hoey who retained her Vauxhall seat at the London Borough of Lambeth Lucy Young 27/31 Conservative's Gavin Barwell loses his seat to Labour at Croydon Central Chris Gorman 28/31 Labour's Sarah Jones takes the Conservative seat of Croydon Chris Gorman 29/31 DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds cheer as Emma Little Pengelly is elected to the South Belfast constituency at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast Niall Carson/PA 30/31 Exit poll results from Britain's general election are projected on to the BBC's Broadcasting House, London Jeff Overs/BBC 31/31 The front door of 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London, as votes are being counted in the 2017 General Election Rick Findler/PA 1/31 Theresa May waiting in Maidenhead for the result to be announced Alastair Grant/AP 2/31 Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn at the Election count in Islington Jeremy Selwyn 3/31 Leader of the Liberal democrats Tim Farron celebrates beating Conservative party candidate James Airey, Independent candidate Mr Fishfinger and Labour candidate Eli Aldridge following the announcement of the results at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre Dave Thompson/Getty Images 4/31 Armed police outside the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in north London Yui Mok/PA 5/31 Vince Cable pictured with his wife Rachel, is elected once again in Twickenham after losing his seat in 2015 Alex Lentati 6/31 Nick Clegg loses his Sheffield Hallam seat and is no longer an MP Sky News 7/31 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts as her party loses their seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Robert Parry/EPA 8/31 Britain's Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, right, tries to high-five with Labour's Emily Thornberry after arriving for the declaration at his constituency in London Frank Augstein/AP 9/31 Ballot boxes are run in during the count at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre as the general election count begins Ian Forsyth/Getty Images 10/31 Boris Johnson at the Brunel Indoor Athletic Centre for the declaration of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency which he retained Rex Features 11/31 Zac Goldsmith with his mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith Alex Lentati 12/31 Close call for Zac Goldsmith as a recount is called for Richmond Park Alex Lentati 13/31 Labour supporters react as Paul Sweeney (not pictured) is announced as the new MP for Glasgow North East for the British Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena EPA 14/31 UKIP leader Paul Nuttall at the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston during the counting Joe Giddens/PA 15/31 Labour's Rupa Huq celebrates with her sister, TV presenter Konnie Huq, after increasing her majority from 274 to 13,807 in Ealing Central and Acton Matt Writtle 16/31 Displays show the current rate of the British pound against the Japanese yen and a news program reporting on the British general election at a foreign money brokerage in Tokyo Roru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images 17/31 Theresa May leaving CCHQ this morning Jeremy Selwyn 18/31 Police watch as counting staff sort through ballots at a counting centre in Islington, London Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images 19/31 Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd's speaks after retaining her seat in Hastings Kevin Coombs/Reuters 20/31 Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy and Joint-chief of staff Fiona Hill leave Conservative Party HQ in Westminster Rick Findler/PA 21/31 Patrons watch the results for Britain's election in London. Alex Salmond loses his seat Peter Nicholls/Reuters 22/31 Chuka Umunna kisses with his wife, Alice Sullivan at the London Borough of Lambeth UK Parliamentary Elections Lucy Young 23/31 Prime Minister Theresa May waits with other candidates for the results to be declared at the count centre in Maidenhead Geoff Cadick/AFP/Getty Images 24/31 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh Jane Barlow/PA 25/31 Vote counters wait for Ballot boxes to arrive at the Peter Paine Performance Centre where the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness Getty Images 26/31 Kate Hoey who retained her Vauxhall seat at the London Borough of Lambeth Lucy Young 27/31 Conservative's Gavin Barwell loses his seat to Labour at Croydon Central Chris Gorman 28/31 Labour's Sarah Jones takes the Conservative seat of Croydon Chris Gorman 29/31 DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds cheer as Emma Little Pengelly is elected to the South Belfast constituency at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast Niall Carson/PA 30/31 Exit poll results from Britain's general election are projected on to the BBC's Broadcasting House, London Jeff Overs/BBC 31/31 The front door of 10 Downing Street in Westminster, London, as votes are being counted in the 2017 General Election Rick Findler/PA

After last night’s result, an outside observer might be forgiven for thinking that politically, Britain has suffered a collective nervous breakdown. Two years ago, the UK stood out as a beacon of political stability and economic success. Two years on from that, voters have both effectively ejected the country from the EU and now given us a Commons that is all but incapable of agreeing a plan to negotiate our exit. That’s a huge challenge. It does, however, offer an opportunity to rethink the hard Brexit that Mrs May intended. At last year’s referendum, voters were only asked one question: should we remain in or leave the European Union? We can respect that outcome without cutting our ties to the single market or leaving the customs union. Out of the chaos of last night, some sanity might emerge.