What’s the party up to? Peter Riddell thinks he knows

Peter Riddell writes today,

If you want to understand what the Liberal Democrats are up to, look outside London. Over the past fortnight several local papers have published almost identical stories in which the Lib Dems say that they are shifting resources to target Labour seats in their area. Nick Clegg is quoted as saying that if only x voters shift from Labour to the Lib Dems (usually less than 10 per cent), they will win Swansea West, Derby North, Hull North, Norwich South, Liverpool Wavertree, Warrington South, City of Durham, Blaydon, Newcastle North etc.

These are the visible signs of a big shift in strategy. In 1997 and 2001 most of the party’s gains were in southern England from the Conservatives. In 2005 there was a slight shift as the party lost five seats to the Tories while gaining three. This was dwarfed by nine gains from Labour. In subsequent local elections the Lib Dems have been badly squeezed by the Tories in the South, though the pattern has been patchy, with the party holding on in many places where there is an incumbent MP. Three months ago the Lib Dems achieved gains from Labour in northern industrial cities and towns, taking control of Burnley, Hull and Sheffield, and advancing elsewhere, notably in Derby and Oldham …

Mr Clegg has talked of a big tax-cutting package for low and middle-income earners, funded not just by raising green taxes but also by real cuts in spending plans. The party also intends to phase the replacement of council tax by local income tax over a long period to cut the number of losers.

Vince Cable and Mr Clegg have been working on proposals to announce at their party conference in Bournemouth next month. There are delicate issues of positioning: between outflanking the Tories on tax cuts and Labour on fairness. The Liberal Democrat message needs to be clarified.

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4 Comments

  • David Evans 13th Aug '08 - 4:17pm

    Interesting, not that we are targetting Labour, but that anyone could consider that what Labour has been doing over the last decade could be described with the term “fairness”. Encouraging people to get massively into debt to keep the economy going! Engaging in massive off balance sheet finance to hide public sector debt through PPI!! War in Iraq!!! Pointedly not tackling taxation of the mega rich!!!! Don’t make me laugh.

  • David Heigham 13th Aug '08 - 4:54pm

    LDV might run a competition to find the most unfair New Labour policy. My runner is the complcation of benefits and tax credits – the consequent levels of error, failure to claim and clawing back of over-payments are horrifically unfair.

    Read Peter Ridell’s article with interest. He is a commentator who tends to catch on first, but he will still have much to learn from Conference.

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