It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the media, as well as the Tories, are praying that Labour loses the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. Their agenda is pitifully transparent: a Labour victory would be dull. Far better to be able to report a meltdown in the governing party – even if that meltdown isn’t occurring.

There are many good reasons to hope for a Labour victory, but one of them would certainly be the joy of watching crestfallen hacks trying to spin a Labour victory as a Labour failure.