They had been doing so well, a rare sane and consistent voice in the energy market, but the strength of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee (ECCC) has been decimated just as the battle was turning in their favour.
We had long known that Tim Yeo, the combative chair, was leaving at the end of this parliament but other stalwarts have left the stage, some expected, others less so.
Like Yeo, Tory Dan Byles also stood down.
Meanwhile Labour’s John Robertson was one of many victims of the SNP massacre of Scottish Labour whilst the Lib Dems Robert Smith was similarly ousted by the resurgence of nationalism north of the border.
That leaves a gap of both experience, seniority and crucially sanity.
That worrying gap is unlikely to be filled if the rumours of tub thumping nationalist Alex Salmond seeking nomination for the ECCC prove correct.
The electorate turns their back on the Miliband madness only for a party with less votes than UKIP to be seeking to hold influence over UK energy policy.
As Pinsent Masons’ Head of Public Policy Alastair Ross explained:
“[Salmond being the nominated SNP ECCC representative] would meet his own political interests and would also give Scottish energy businesses a voice at Westminster, albeit not in government.”
Frying pan, fire springs unpleasantly to mind.