The Lib Dem Appeal to Left and Right

The Liberal Democrats have developed a reputation for being able to face in two directions at the same time. Their Janus-like qualities have stood them in good stead during their rise to parliamentary credibility over the past decade. This week, Nick Clegg has appealed to Conservative voters in the pages of The Spectator, while my old friend John Kampfner has explained why all our former comrades should abandon the Labour Party for the Lib Dems. Confusing isn’t it? 
James was spot on in his politics column this week to say that our major parties are all giant coalitons. There are people on the centre ground of the Conservative and Labour parties that have more in common with each other than they do with MPs on the lunatic fringes of their own parties, 
But the Lib Dems remain something of a mystery. We still don’t really know if they are they are the left-leaning party of civil liberties or right-wing Thatcherite neo-liberals.