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Politics without a majority

Publication:	Prospect Magazine
Link:	Prospect
Author:	Alasdair Murray and Mark Bell
Date :	October 2007
Relates to :	Publications: In the balance

Gordon Brown's attempt to erect his "big tent" in the centre of British politics continues. From sipping tea with Margaret Thatcher to taking on Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs as advisers, Brown has worked hard to further his "post-party" politics. Yet the prime minister, and his unhappy opponents, may be forced to take more radical steps to forge cross-party co-operation after the next election. Opinion polls suggest a hung parliament is more likely than at any point in the last 25 years. Long-term electoral trends also point in this direction - the total share of the vote received by Labour and the Conservatives has falled in every general election since 1992. At the same time, the Liberal Democrats have steadily increased their presence in Westminster, reaching 62 MPs in 2005.

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