Participation in a Conservative government left the UK’s Lib Dems without a support base. But what’s not so well known is that the Conservatives knew it all along: “Ffion, I think I’ve just killed the Liberal Democrats.”
The Liberal Democrats now find themselves at a political crossroads. They are back to the levels of the 1970s and face a huge rebuilding process to restore public trust, party competence and credibility. They face a real battle to re-establish themselves as a political force in a crowded market, something which conceivably could take decades to achieve. As a political party, they need to re-discover their purpose and niche: their radical distinctiveness and cause, and a longstanding appeal to a wider audience than just their core supporters. But the scale of this task is vast. On the basis of no redistricting from now until 2020—which is highly unlikely and could be detrimental to the Liberal Democrats—the party is second in only 62 seats.
[via MeFi]