British political landscape

[funflower]

The major parties are (left to right)

Labour
Liberal Democrats
Tories

My understanding is that the LibDems are comparable to the DLC. Is that right, or are they to the left of Labour?

[beyurslf]

1. I thought Labour was the middle group.

[marmar]

2. Me too.

It's Lib Dems-Labor-Torries on the L-R scale, just as in Canada it's NDP-Liberals-Torries.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

3. Britians' 3 parties are similar

to 3 parties here

Labour=Democrats

Tories=Republicans

Liberal Democrats=Green Party

[funflower]

5. 'nuther question

So, how successful are the LibDems? Do they have many seats in the Commons? Is there also a viable UK Green party?

[rogerashton]

4. I think -- and I,m not British --

that the LD's were formed by the merger of the Liberals, the free-market progressive party of the 1800s, with the Social Democrats, who dropped out of the Labor party in the 1970's when Labor was much further left than it has been since the mid-90's. At that time, the LD's would have been to the right of Labor. But now ...?

A further complication (I think) is that the LD's are pretty Euro-friendly, while both the Tories and Labor are divided but predominantly Euroskeptical. Whether that is left or right deponent knoweth not.

[funflower]

6. I had thought they were some kind of "3rd way"

party, not necessarily strictly along the left-right spectrum. However, I'm getting feedback that sounds as if they've migrated left (or Labour has migrated right).

[ikri]

7. Not always easy to tell

In theory Labour are the left wing party. But in recent years they've moved to the right.

The LibDems cover the centre left now, though many of their members and supporters have very right leaning views.

The Tory party used to be the centre right party. Since Labour have moved more central in their policies the Tories have been forced away from this traditional area, lurching further and further to the right-wing trying to pick up votes from the far-right parties in the UK.

Labour and the LibDems are probably in the same place, very central in their policies, except Labour have become very authoritarian while the LibDems have tried to become the party of civil liberties.

The true left-wing parties in the UK have very little support unfortunately.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

8. I agree with you

Labour used to be much more socialistic but now that point of view exclusively belongs to the Liberal Democrats. It does seem to me that Labour and the Tories are about the same. Both were for the Iraq war both are for a free market economy. Only some social issues seem to divide the two parties.

[communerd]

9. Tories- RW; Labour and Lib Dem- both vaguely centre-left

That's my view of the situation. The Lib Dems were formed after the merger of two centrist parties- the Liberals and the SDP which, as another poster pointed out, were a right-wing breakaway from Labour. As Labour moved to the right the Lib Dems have increasingly courted dissaffected left-wing voters, and have adopted some significant left-wing policy positions (such as a 50% top rate of income tax)- whilst some positions they always had which used to be seen as centrist in relation to "Old" (pre-Blair) Labour have arguably become regarded as left-wing in relation to Blair's "New" Labour. However, they still have many very right-wing members (I've dealt with them in local politics), and some pretty right-wing figures within their leadership. At the local level, Lib Dems tend (I stress tend) to be more definitively to the right of Labour and sometimes rule in coalition with the Tories (something I have never heard of, and frankly cannot imagine, Labour doing- but I'm open to being corrected). At the national level, things are complicated by the fact that Blair is probably to the right of 90% of Labour Party members, whereas Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy is usually regarded as being on the left of his party.

So overall, I would say both Labour and the Lib Dems are both generally left of centre- it is confusing, in large part because Blair has changed the political landscape so much by moving Labour so markedly rightwards. Both parties are left struggling with their identities, while the Tories have a clear identity which most people despise. However, I should note that both Labour and the Lib dems are generally well to the left of the US Democratic Party, in my opinion. Hope that is of some use- as a disclaimer I must add that I voted Labour today, and Lib Dem supporters may or may not see things somewhat differently...

[funflower]

12. Thanks very much for the view from across the pond, mate!

:toast:

[Idioteque]

10. Here's how I've seen it described before

Conservatives - centre-right to right-wing (traditionally right-wing)
Labour - centre-left to centre-right (traditionally centre-left to left-wing)
LibDems - centre-left (traditionally centrist)

Labour and LibDems both seem to be centre-left but Labour is more authoritarian while LibDems are more libertarian. LibDems also tend to favor decentralization and local control. Traditionally Labour has had the support of the working class with LibDems being based in the middle class.

[CJCRANE]

11. Just like in the US

the swing voters in the UK are generally perceived as conservative (with a small "c") and middle-class. The party closest to the centre generally gets their vote.

Labour was traditonally left-wing but moved to the centre and right (on some issues) under Tony Blair which made it electable (similar to Bill Clinton's "triangulation" tactic).