Ouch. Too much like intruding into private grief, this!
But it is a sad day, because we do need a bloody good opposition in the UK to counter the magalomania and control-freakery of New Labour, and I can't see IDS and his Euro-obsessed band of Thatcherite Treens being able to furnish that.
These are indeed strange times. Over on another thread I was saying how much I missed Clinton, and now I'm missing Don Portillo far more than is good for an old leftie!
So Mike, don't go now - stick around and roll your sleeves up.
Your party is going to need people like you to rebuild and realign it and ensure that, after it gets stuffed next time, it can get its head out of the sand and provide a real opposition.