In September 2005 I wrote about the “stampede for the centre ground” in an article for the New Statesman. I had just been underwhelmed by the Liberal democrat conference in Blackpool and noted how easy it was to sneer about the centre party from the Westminster village. The Lib Dems were not making it easy for themselves as they struggled to come to terms with the rise of so-called “Orange Book” Lib Dems such as David Laws and Nick Clegg on the right of the party.
However, I said at the time:
“It is tempting… to dismiss the Liberal Democrats. It would be unwise to do so yet. Those in the other two main parties thinking seriously about politics recognise this. Ken Clarke has warned that the Tories could be overtaken as the second party, while Peter Hain has sought to disabuse disgruntled Labour supporters of the belief that the Lib Dems are now a party of the left.
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