Neither Left Nor Right?

by Fieldhouse, Russell

• ISBN13: 9780719066016
• ISBN10: 0719066018
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Manchester University Press

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Andrew Russell is Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester.

Edward Fieldhouse is Deputy Director of the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research at the University of Manchester.

Table of Contents

List of tables	vi
List of figures	viii
Acknowledgements	ix
Introduction	1	(14)
PART I The party history and organisation	15	(72)
Liberal history: from Whigs to Liberal Democrats	16	(19)
The Liberal Democrats and contemporary politics	35	(18)
The party machine: the organisational structure of the Liberal Democrats	53	(14)
Dual identities: grassroots versus leadership elite	67	(20)
PART II The Liberal Democrats and the electorate	87	(90)
The profile of Liberal support	88	(26)
Sympathy and support for the Liberal Democrat agenda	114	(29)
The geography of Liberal Democrat support	143	(34)
PART III Party strategy	177	(74)
Neither left nor right but forward? The electoral strategy of the Liberal Democrats, 1997--2001	178	(21)
From votes to seats: making votes count	199	(16)
Lib-Dem campaigns in 2001: the case studies	215	(36)
Conclusion: the Liberal Democrats and the electorate	251	(10)
References	261	(8)
Index	269