Oh, sure, the rise of the Liberal Democrats is a problem for the Conservatives too and it doesn’t help their chances of securing an overall majority. But it may be an even bigger problem for Gordon Brown. Can anyone really remember anything Labour have said since Thursday’s debate? Not really. It’s as though Labour have been erased from the campaign entirely, leaving the field to the Conservatives and the Liberals.
The Cleggathon has had another effect: it reinforces the case for change and strengthens and deepens the media narrative about change. This too must cost Labour dear. The media has constructed a campaign story that accepts that change is a given and all that we’re doing now is haggling over the details.
For years the Lib Dems have complained, with some justification, that they are ignored by the press. But that’s party because a two-horse race is much easier to dramatise and explain than a messier, more complicated three-dimensional contest.
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