David Blackburn

Tory activists are feeling more confident. What about the Lib Dems?

A Conservative Home poll, which found that a majority of activists believe that the coalition is good for Britain, is the latest little boost for David Cameron, so says Paul Goodman. The Tories are having a good the summer; confidence is building. Yet there is, as numerous commentators and MPs are keen to stress, some way to go before the party can think of a majority. This means that the Lib Dems, who are likely to hold the balance of power in any future hung parliament, deserve some attention.

There is not much meaty polling about the attitudes of Lib Dem activists; but, what there is, is quite telling:

Do you approve or disapprove of the coalition's record

Preferred outcome after next election

Clegg and Co (or whoever it is in 2015) will be governed by the electoral maths: if David Cameron has the numbers; he will form a government. Yet they can’t ignore their base without risking a rumpus or a split, so a formal coalition is not a certainty in this hypothetical hung parliament.

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