Politics in the UK abounds with the phrase MIDDLE GROUND, every party wants to be perceived as in the middle ground but just where is the middle ground and what does it represent, is it really important, does it exit?
For the discussion of politics the term middle ground is a useful anchor but if you delve into it, in reality, it means nothing and is actually all things to all people but political commentators and politicians have hijacked the phrase to the point that people actually believe it!
I was listening to a Lib Dem spokeswoman, can’t remember her name, on the news referring to the Lib Dem’s as being a Centre Ground Party, the Lib Dem’s are to the left of Labour so calling the Lib Dem’s a party of the Centre Ground is pulling the centre ground way over to the left of politics. Further reading
Ed Miliband always projects Labour as being bang in the centre of British politics but to everyone with a brain cell knows Labour is a fair away towards the left of British politics so again Ed Miliband is dragging the centre ground to suit himself and his rhetoric!
David Cameron always describes his Conservative Party as a party of the centre ground and in fact it is all over the place, Ken Clark, Heseltine, Howe, etc could be called left of centre, Cameron could be anywhere and the bulk of the party is probably, where the majority of the country are right of centre.
The Conservatives always talk about another sort of centre ground called ONE NATION TORYISM and the opposition parties say, where is the old ONE NATION Tory Party, well it is alive and well because the One Nation Tory Party was created by Iain Macleod who could probably be described as to the left of centre and Enoch Powell who was definitely to the right of centre so Conservative Party One Nation movement is probably the best description of politics today encompassing the best of left and right politics.
As for the Centre Ground, well that is where any politician want to put it so it really has no meaning at all but without it politicians would have to be judged on their policies not where they want to position themselves and political commentators, including the BBC, would be lost!
Further reading
Labour trying to seize the New Centre Ground of British Politics
Have the Tories missed the Centre Ground of British Politics?
The Centre Ground has shifted BUT it is always shifting to where politicians want to put it!
As for the Centre Ground, well that is where any politician want to put it so it really has no meaning at all. Go to: http://t.co/6RKh57Jm
Referring to the Lib Dem’s as being a Centre Ground Party is rediculous, Lib Dem’s are to the left of Labour. Go to: http://t.co/6RKh57Jm
In #politics the term middle ground is a useful anchor but if you delve into it, in reality, it means nothing! Go to: http://t.co/6RKh57Jm