One Liberal Democrat who must have felt the party’s local election hurt harder than most is parliamentary candidate Maajid Nawaz.

His challenge of getting elected to parliament in Hampstead and Kilburn at next year’s general election is now tougher than ever if the party’s drubbing in Camden is anything to go by, which it surely must be.

Heathman found a lone Mr Nawaz taking stock of the Lib Dems’ fate in a corner of the Somers Town Community Sports Centre towards the end of the Camden vote count on Friday night.

He cut a dejected figure but when asked how he intended to come back from such a miserable night at the polls, Mr Nawaz insisted he had an “extra factor” as an individual candidate that could overcome his party’s waning popularity.

“That’s going to be something that the other two don’t have,” he told Heathman. “It’s the reason why I’ve already had promises from Labour members saying, ‘We are going to host dinners for you in the constituency.’

“It’s the reason why Simon Marcus, when he was interviewed by Al Jazeera that time, said he’s not sure he can win. They are worried about that extra factor.

“This Wednesday I’m being interviewed on Matt Forde’s show, that comedy show. He’s a Labour member. I’m the only PPC he’s ever invited to interview on that show because he contacted me to say he loves my book, that’s the sort of image which I’m going to have to try and magnify in this campaign. It’s going to be hard but I’ve got a year ahead to do that.

“My autobiography…we have got some very serious discussions [underway] because there’s a production company that’s in the middle of buying the option so it’s interesting commissioning that so it gets televised.

“So there’s going to be a lot around what I bring to politics and I’m hoping that people wider in the constituency begin to understand who I am and what I bring.”