They aren't Labour. The Lib Dems don't stand a chance, and never have under our electoral system, their support is more evenly distributed (I remember when they were first formed, and gor almost 25% of the vote -- which came out as 1% of the seats, because they had around 25% in each area which wasn't enough to get them a majority in almost all areas).
Certainly from what the Tories are saying[1] about cancelling the ID system (or large parts of it) etc. they do seem to be better about civil rights, and about dismantling and narrowing some of the overly broad laws Labour have brought in.
Although they could kill their prospects with the recently announced "positive discrimination" toward women and ethnic minorities in the candidate lists (they are talking about "all female" lists). For instance, if they remove my MP they are almost certain to lose the seat, because most people vote for him not the party (the Lib Dems would get it: Labour don't stand a chance, they get a minute proportion of the vote, but a lot of the people who vote Tory for MP vote LD for council elections). But if they only do the "all female" lists in marginal areas that might cause a backlash as well...
[1] Does anyone still believe that what a political party says before an election has anything to do with what they will actually do if they win?
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Date: 2009-10-21 08:10 am (UTC)Certainly from what the Tories are saying[1] about cancelling the ID system (or large parts of it) etc. they do seem to be better about civil rights, and about dismantling and narrowing some of the overly broad laws Labour have brought in.
Although they could kill their prospects with the recently announced "positive discrimination" toward women and ethnic minorities in the candidate lists (they are talking about "all female" lists). For instance, if they remove my MP they are almost certain to lose the seat, because most people vote for him not the party (the Lib Dems would get it: Labour don't stand a chance, they get a minute proportion of the vote, but a lot of the people who vote Tory for MP vote LD for council elections). But if they only do the "all female" lists in marginal areas that might cause a backlash as well...
[1] Does anyone still believe that what a political party says before an election has anything to do with what they will actually do if they win?