Liberalism needs to be rebuilt – just not by the Lib Dems | Rafael Behr

Insurgent forces of the far left and right have resulted in a hollowing-out of centre politics. But Vince Cable’s tribe is not up to filling the void

If it is true that failure makes a great teacher, the Liberal Democrats must know a lot about British politics. Currently they are learning about Brexit by failing to capitalise on the votes of millions of remainers, despite being England’s most pro-European mainstream party. In 2016 support for EU membership was 48%, yet the Lib Dems struggle to reach double digits in opinion polls.

That reflects another failure: at a time when Jeremy Corbyn has taken Labour radically to the left, and Theresa May’s agenda is dictated by the fanatical right, there must be room for a party of mainstream moderation. But Vince Cable’s tribe, gathered in Brighton this week, has not expanded into that space. They look peripheral even when they’re parked in the middle of the road.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2xkwZXb