Centerfield

Polarization in the UK

I have no intuition about why this is happening, but the center is reportedly in decline in British politics

Intriguingly, the poll also suggests the Tory vote is hardening to the right, with only six per cent identifying with the 'One-Nation Tory' label and a rise in those identifying themselves as Thatcherite. A similar shift on the left has seen a switch from those identifying as 'new Labour' to 'old Labour', suggesting the party may be losing floating voters.

Britain has a vigorous third party, the Liberal Democrats. I gather that on economic issues, they're to the right of Labour, but on foreign policy, particularly Iraq, they are to Labour's left.

Posted by rickheller at January 30, 2005 12:05 AM