James Forsyth James Forsyth

How bad are things for the Liberal Democrats?

One of the most remarkable things about this parliament is how the Liberal Democrats have continued to hold their nerve in the face of truly dire poll ratings. Now, partly this is because the Lib Dems are a cussed lot and don’t want to give the media the satisfaction of seeing them squeal. But it is also because their own extensive seat polling, they’ve spent £350 thousand on it in the last couple of years, makes them confident that they will do better than anyone thinks they will.

Party figures familiar with the polling, present numbers that show them to be competitive in, for example, Cardiff Central; a seat that most people think they have no chance of holding on to. They also point out that when you name all the candidates standing for election in a seat, the Liberal Democrat vote invariably shoots up and that none of the published seat polls ask that question.

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