There are no excuses this time round for the Liberal Democrats’ humiliation. That is not too strong a word for it. Not only that, but it is entirely self-inflicted.

There was no need to have this early general election. There was no demand for the extreme and undemocratic “Revoke” Brexit policy the Lib Dems adopted for it. There was no overwhelming reason to run the campaign in such an overly personalised way, concentrating on one personality above all others.

All these decisions, and the poor electoral performance that resulted from them, are the responsibility of the party leader: Jo Swinson. A politician who, remember, boldly launched her leadership by declaring: “I stand before you not just as the leader of the Lib Dems, but as a candidate for prime minister”. As it turned out, she was not even a successful candidate for her own parliamentary constituency of East Dumbartonshire.

There is a bitter irony in her losing her career to the SNP when it was she, Swinson, who teamed up with the SNP to give Boris Johnson his early election. She flopped.

The progress made in these last few weeks, compared to some cosmic early expectations, has been modest, to say the least. Few gains, and most of the defectors from Labour or the Conservatives failed to get back into the House of Commons. The Lib Dems even stood against other natural allies, such as the Independent Conservative David Gauke, or Labour’s Ben Bradshaw, who were close to their views, with the effect of splitting the anti-Boris and stop-Brexit vote.

Getting Sarah Olney back into parliament really wasn’t worth it. “It” being Johnson’s majority to do what he likes – including putting a no-deal Brexit back on the table – for five long years. It’s not Boris Johnson who will “get Brexit done” – it’s Jo Swinson.

Let’s look back. At the 2017 election, the party was led by a bloke called Tim Farron. There was no-one else to lead the party at the time, so this cheerful, thoughtful man took on the thankless task of crawling out from under the wreckage of the Coalition years and the tuition fees fiasco. Nick Clegg had lost his seat and walked away to the embrace of Facebook.

Election night 2019: In Pictures Show all 36 1 /36 Election night 2019: In Pictures Election night 2019: In Pictures First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie with some her newly elected MP's at the Glasgow count Getty Election night 2019: In Pictures Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures after speaking AP Election night 2019: In Pictures A police officer breaks up a fight while Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell speaks Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Liberal Democrat candidate Luciana Berger reacts as she loses the Finchley & Golders Green constituency in north London PA Election night 2019: In Pictures DUP MP for Upper Bann Carla Lockhart with her son Charlie at Meadowbank Sports Arena as counting begins PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Labour's John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor speaks after winning his constituency seat following the count declaration at Brunel University in Uxbridge, London AP Election night 2019: In Pictures Liberal Democrats candidate for Edinburgh West, Christine Jardine retains her seat at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Theresa Villers after she was re-elected as MP for Chipping Barnet at Allainz Park, London in the 2019 General Election. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday December 13, 2019. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire Jacob King PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon takes a photo with party members at the SEC Centre in Glasgow after the declaration in her constituency in the 2019 general election, Friday Dec. 13, 2019. An exit poll in Britain's election projects that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party likely will win a majority of seats in Parliament. That outcome would allow Johnson to fulfil his plan to take the U.K. out of the European Union next month. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) Scott Heppell AP Election night 2019: In Pictures The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly reacts to losing the Belfast South seat at the Titanic exhibition centre, Belfast, for the 2019 General Election. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday December 13, 2019. See PA story POLITICS Election. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Liam McBurney PA Election night 2019: In Pictures TOPSHOT - Carrie Symonds, partner of Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson, holds their dog, a Jack Russell-cross named Dilyn, as she arrives at the count centre in Uxbridge, west London, on December 13, 2019 while votes were counted as part of the UK general election. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling party appeared on course for a sweeping victory in Thursday's snap election, an exit poll showed, paving the way for Britain to leave the EU next month after years of political deadlock. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) OLI SCARFF AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures TOPSHOT - Party activists keep an eye on proceedings as ballot papers are sorted at the count centre in Bishopbriggs, north of Glasgow on December 12, 2019. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on course for a decisive majority, exit polls indicated after voting closed in Britain's general election on Thursday, paving the way for Brexit. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) PAUL ELLIS AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures DUP leader Arlene Foster watches on as Sinn Fein candidate John Finucane is declared the winner of the north Belfast seat over DUP candidate Nigel Dodds in the Belfast count centre at the Titanic Exhibition centre on December 13, 2019 in Belfast, United Kingdom. The current Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the first UK winter election for nearly a century in an attempt to gain a working majority to break the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit. The election results from across the country are being counted and an overall result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Ballots in a tray labelled Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrats candidate for East Dunbartonshire, are seen at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Bishopbriggs, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures Sinn Fein's John Finucane, the winning candidate in the Belfast North seat, with Party Vice President Michelle O'Neill and President Mary Lou McDonald, celebrates at the count centre, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon smiles as she arrives at the SEC Centre in Glasgow for the declaration in her constituency in the 2019 general election, Friday Dec. 13, 2019. An exit poll in Britain's election projects that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party likely will win a majority of seats in Parliament. That outcome would allow Johnson to fulfil his plan to take the U.K. out of the European Union next month. AP Election night 2019: In Pictures Conservative Party MP Dominic Raab being congratulated by Baron Badger after being re-elected to serve the constituency of Esher and Walton at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey at the 2019 General Election. PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Conservative Party parliamentary candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg makes his way to the stage at the Sports Training Village, University of Bath, on December 13, 2019 in Bath, England. The current Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the first UK winter election for nearly a century in an attempt to gain a working majority to break the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit. The election results from across the country are being counted overnight and an overall result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Britain's Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson speaks on stage after losing her seat at the East Dunbartonshire count centre in Bishopbriggs, north of Glasgow, on December 13, 2019 after votes were counted as part of the UK general election. AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Bobby Smith, a political and fathers' rights activist and founder and leader of the 'Give Me Back Elmo' party, left, and Independent candidate Count Binface stand either side of Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson wait for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency count declaration at Brunel University in Uxbridge, London, Friday AP Election night 2019: In Pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with wife Laura Alvarez, talks to workers as he arrives for the count at Sobell Leisure Centre for the Islington North and South constituencies for the 2019 General Election. PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, visits the vote count in his Islington North constituency on December 12, 2019 in London, England. Corbyn, who has held the Islington North seat since 1983, is expected to step down as leader if his party is dealt a decisive defeat by the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister called the first UK winter election for nearly a century in an attempt to gain a working majority to break the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit. The election results from across the country are being counted overnight and an overall result is expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Labour Party candidate Sharon Hodgson speaks after is announced as the winner for the constituency of Washington and Sunderland West at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Sunderland, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn arriving for the count at Sobell Leisure Centre for the Islington North and South constituencies for the 2019 General Election. PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Labour candidate for Walthamstow Stella Creasy carries her baby daughter as she speaks after winning in Britain's general election in Waltham Forest Town Hall, Walthamstow, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures The first ballot boxes for Belfast North are brought into the count centre in Belfast on December 12, 2019 to be counted for the UK general election. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on course for a decisive majority, exit polls indicated after voting closed in Britain's general election on Thursday, paving the way for Brexit AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Independent, Count Binface poses for a photograph as he waits for the results in the count centre in Uxbridge, where Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson hopes to hold his seat, in west London, on December 12, 2019. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on course for a decisive majority, exit polls indicated after voting closed in Britain's general election on Thursday, paving the way for Brexit. AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Ballot boxes are emptied during the count at Northumbria University's Sports Central in Newcastle for the 2019 General Election PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Ballots are tallied at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Brighton, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures Ballots arrive at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Esher, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures General Election 2019 - Election count at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt for Newry & Armagh, South Antrim, North Antrim, Upper Bann, East Londonderry, Foyle, Lagan Valley and Mid Ulster. Election night 2019: In Pictures A woman wears a rosette with the name of independent candidate Joe Bousfield on it as ballots are tallied at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Hartlepool, Britain REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures An exit poll from Thursday's election is projected onto Broadcasting House in London, Britain, December Jeff Overs/BBC via REUTERS Election night 2019: In Pictures The broadcaster's exit poll results projected on the outside of the BBC building in London shows Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party predicted to win 368 seats and a majority (L) and Jeremy Corbyn's opposition Labour Party to win 191 seats, as the ballots begin to be counted in the general election on December 12, 2019 AFP via Getty Images Election night 2019: In Pictures Ballot boxes are opened at Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, as counting begins 2019 General Election. PA Election night 2019: In Pictures Votes are counted at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, for the UK Parliamentary General Election count PA

Farron endured a miserable leadership and election campaign in 2017. Everywhere he went, he was asked not about Europe or the NHS, but whether gay sex is a sin. It was ridiculous. The Liberal Democrats won 12 seats and 7.4 per cent of the vote. This year, at the time of writing (when a Tory majority had been confirmed but not all seats declared) that “advance” amounts to just 11 per cent of the vote. At this rate, it will be the next century before we get a Lib Dem government.

This time around, things were looking better. The bitter regrets about Brexit and Labour’s failure to back a final say referendum were working in the Lib Dems’ favour. At the European elections in May, the last under Vince Cable’s leadership, the party won 19.6 per cent of the vote and came second. In parliament, Johnson was caged in the Commons, unable to get a no-deal Brexit approved by MPs, and constrained from his more aggressive instincts by lack of a majority. The Liberal Democrats held the balance of power, at least in part. It might have been possible to secure a second referendum on the Johnson “deal”. You can judge for yourself what might have happened and what the chances would have been in this parallel universe.

Now there is probably no possibility of a second referendum, Brexit is not going to be stopped quite so easily, the Commons and Supreme Court will be weakened under new laws, and the Liberal Democrats do not hold any sort of power.