Getting in bed with David Cameron has been very costly for the Lib Dems (UK)

[marmar]

from the Independent UK:



Only one in four people who voted Liberal Democrat at the last election still supports the party, according to new research.

The YouGov survey of 4,300 who voted Liberal Democrat in 2010 suggests that the party's predicament may be even worse than the headline polling figures show. A quarter of those who backed Nick Clegg's party now support Labour, while another quarter are "don't knows" and the remaining quarter back other parties.

Worryingly for the Liberal Democrats, there are fewer signs than after previous elections of the party winning new supporters to replace the voters it has lost. Only 1 per cent of Labour and Conservative voters in 2010 has switched to the Liberal Democrats.

The one ray of hope is that one in four of their backers is now a "don't know" and could potentially be won back. The party's other target groups before the next election will be lost tactical voters and "missing new converts". Strategists say the party will aim to woo low to middle income families and women. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-lose-three-out-of-four-of-their-voters-6285640.html

[DavidDvorkin]

1. He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.

[mwooldri]

2. Hate to say this but Clegg is toast come next Gen. Election.

He and the leadership sold out the party. Admittedly in government the Lib Dems may have won a few battles but when it comes to the war, they're truly lost.

The only way that Lib Dems can IMO hold on to seats come next election is if the Conservatives are totally and utterly despised and that Labour come to power. There are plenty of seats where it is a Lib-Dem vs Conservative race and Labour hardly features. This is the only way I can see the Lib Dems be respected because by this tie up and in this way, the public have turned their backs on the Lib Dems. Even though I live in an area that has always been a Tory stronghold, it has made people want to consider turning to Labour.

In local politics it is just far worse. In the last local elections (2011), the Liberal Democrats were totally wiped out in my old hometown area. Apart from Independent, all the councillors on Waverley Borough Council are Conservative. In a recent by-election, the Conservatives won, the independent candidate came in 2nd. This was a far cry from 2003 where Lib Dems had a majority. Admittedly in 2007, the Lib Dems had a big wipe out but they kept 3 seats.

[JackRiddler]

3. Golly, surely the most unpredictable event in political history.

How could they not have known?

[LeftishBrit]

4. Especially...

as this would be the SECOND time in British political history that the Liberals got themselves practically wiped out for decades by going into coalition with the Tories.

[JackRiddler]

5. So why'd they do it?

The UK Liberals are not the first or last party to commit suicide for the interests of capital (always called "the national interest.&quot It never seems to take much pressure. The Spanish socialists, the Irish left and even long-running dynastic or oligarchic survivors who'd never otherwise give up power, like Berlusconi and Papandreou, have since readily done the same. Fascinating.

(The Democrats have taken damage for the same cause but that's an old story and US politics seems to be more forgiving thanks to its up-is-down logic and six-second memory.)