Neither Left nor Right: The Liberal Democrats and the Electorate

This book provides a comprehensive account of the nature of Liberal Democrat electoral politics in contemporary Britain, and explores the specific challenges facing the Liberal Democrats in their struggle for identity, distinctiveness and votes, as well as examining the different layers of the party in terms of structure, strategy and representation. It provides a detailed history of the party, from the grassroots to the leadership and considers the anatomy of the party's vote. A series of eight case studies highlight how the Liberal Democrats continue to operate differently in various contexts, geographies, and against political opponents and demonstrates how local strategies were adopted in the 1997 and 2001 general elections.