What hopes for the Libs?
Sir: The Liberal party conference, with all the frustrations attendant on having spent years in the political wilderness, has pre- tended yet again that it can win influence if not power at the next general election. Political power in the Westminster parlia- ment is firmly based on the mechanism of a Government. and an official Opposition acting as a possible and predictable alterna- tive to it. Unless the present electoral system is changed for the doubtful advan- tages of proportional representation, this country, like the United States, is per- manently wedded to a two party system.
Whilst there are few, if any, precedents for political parties going into liquidation voluntarily, there is a place for small groups within one of the great parties. The Liberals in their new radical or 'left' role--having bequeathed the 'let be' or 'laissez-faire' doctrine of the past century to the Con- servatives—could play a useful part inside the ranks of Labour, and bring to it at least half of the Liberal votes periodically (and wastefully) cast at elections.
An example of this constituent status is
the Co-operative party, which, save for a recent brush with the landlady over SET, has lived happily at Transport House for many years as a paying (and honoured) guest. Could not the Liberals do likewise? They could save themselves the fate of perishing outside, whilst enriching the varied company within by their lively presence.
Previous page
