‘The night of the living dead’: denial-fuelled Tory conference ends without direction

The leadership candidates on the final day of the Conservative conference, from left: Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Three months on from almost their worst ever election loss, Conservative MPs were curiously gleeful at their Birmingham conference this week.

Denial about the scale of the defeat, exaggeration of Labour’s teething troubles in government and delusion about the party’s chances of returning quickly were widespread.