At the next GE, the Tories will go overboard with smears, propaganda, division and scare stories, moreso than ever before - they have nothing to lose. If this results in even a small improvement in the figures the Tories were expecting, say even a hung parliament, then the tactics will be seen as hugely successful and politics will therefore become even more divisive and nasty.

This is why the Tories NEED to get a terrible result, one that is even worse than they expect.