Whitby wins, but margin of victory remains top secret

How jolly convenient. We shall never know the margin by which Whitby beat challenger Randal Brew, and it is therefore impossible to take a view on the level of support among the Conservative group for the council leader.
Even the likes of Hitler, Stalin and Saddam Hussein felt obliged to give details of their landslide victories.
After Monday night's vote Whitby said he was impressed by the level of support he received.
His closest colleagues spoke of an overwhelming victory.
But how could they possibly know?
The ballot papers were removed after being filled in to be counted by a Conservative Party official.
Only the official, and perhaps Central Office, know the figures.
The aftermath of the vote was marked, predictably, by both sides making increasingly spurious claims.
Whitbyites let it be known that Coun Brew polled "about 10" votes.
Brewites claimed the correct score to be Whitby 24 Brew 22, with two members of the group absent and one abstaining.
This figure, it is said, is based on leaks from Conservative Central Office.
If true, it means that Whitby scraped home by the narrowest of margins with his authority to lead the Tories and the council severely damaged.
All absolute tosh, I am sure.
But wouldn't it be a good idea for the Conservatives to sort this out once and for all by announcing the actual result.