Message #1861

[AndyHB]

i'm not entirely convinced about what role a third party in an adversarial system can have the only reason there is a third party in our system (and there are to be fair many more smaller ones) is due to the new kid on the block attracting loads of new and many first time voters that rejected the statusquo.... 

ecu, there have been 3 larger parties in the UK for approaching a century now, and during that time the Liberals/Lib Dems have either held power in their own right (a couple of times) or supported a minority government of both colours, not to mention the all-party government that led this country immediately after the 2nd World War (if I remember my history correctly).  It has nothing to do with a 'new kid on the block' syndrome.  I suspect that, as time goes on the block power of the Labour and Tory parties will be slowly whittled away by parties such as the Greens and the Lib Dems.

edited to remove remaining chunk of original post!!