We are the third party of British politics and last week’s result shows that clearly.

Our percentage vote has almost doubled since last year. Contrast that with 2010 when we lost 411 seats.

We are the only party to gain a council (Watford, where we wiped out the Conservatives) and in places such as Eastleigh and Cheltenham we made gains.

We have won in areas which commentators would see as not favourable areas for the Lib Dems, taking seats in Sunderland, Manchester and Knowsley.

In Scotland, we gained NE Fife and Edinburgh Western. And despite the full onslaught of the SNP machine we increased our vote share in both Orkney and Shetland. For all the SNP spin, they actually lost control.

The Liberal Democrats are fighters and our members up and down the country have fought an incredible campaign.

The job of rebuilding was monumental, and there is still masses to do. But the job is now underway and we move to the EU referendum and ultimately 2020 with a new spring in our step.