IN his masterful political tome of 2017, Fall Out, Tim Shipman reveals an interesting fact about last year’s general election.

When the North Swindon results came through just a few beats before midnight, it was, he says, the point at which Labour began to dream the undreamable.

Watching the sitting MP Justin Tomlinson have his majority cut by more than 3,000 prompted one excitable Corbynite at Labour HQ to confess: “When North Swindon came in and you could see the massive swing to us and the fact that the UKIP vote wasn’t breaking to them, we knew we were onto something.”

Swindon has always been a key political bellwether, the national mood so often reflected in the gentle ripples of Coate Water and the sprawling fields of Lydiard.

The Conservatives have controlled the council since 2004 and despite relentless campaigning by an opposition hungry for power, have in recent weeks repeatedly dismissed suggestions they are on the backfoot.

“Labour can give it everything they’ve got, but we’re confident the voters trust us more than they trust them,” a Conservative source said.

Reflecting on the years of Tory dominance under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, Labour’s Jack Straw once told of the despondency and torment that comes with being in opposition, politically impotent, for almost 20 years.

The Swindon Labour Group is not quite that far gone, but the itch to take power will only get harder to scratch the closer its members come.

The Tories are currently sitting on a modest majority of just three seats. If Labour is to take overall control, the party must gain four seats, a task unlikely, but not impossible.

“Hopeful” was the word recently deployed by the leader, Jim Grant, when contemplating Labour’s chances of success.

Both councillors Grant and David Renard, the leader of the Conservative Group, agree that local elections are, generally speaking, fought on local issues. Bins over Brexit, in other words.

“I think we have some excellent candidates that are very good at dealing with issues that affect specific wards,” said Coun Grant.

Throughout the campaign, Labour has brought out the big hitters: Jeremy Corbyn, Tom Watson and John McDonnell have all visited the town. Guardian columnist Owen Jones, a fervent devotee of Mr Corbyn, spent an afternoon rallying the troops in Swindon.

But the Tories have not been without their big names. Dominic Raab, Chris Grayling and James Cleverly have been guests of Messrs Buckland and Tomlinson.

We are yet to meet a candidate, from any of the five parties, who is willing firmly to predict success. Toby Robson, standing for the Liberal Democrats in Eastcott, says he is optimistic and Tim Swinyard, defending his Lydiard and Freshbrook seat for the Tories, describes himself as “confident, but not careless”.

Whatever happens today, Tim Shipman’s next book, whenever it might appear, should be a blistering read.