The UK's Political Centre Ground

By now we all believe what the pundits tell us - to win an election in the UK you need to hold the political centre ground. All three parties are trying to own this real estate; it's like one of those contests to see how many students you can fit in a Mini. We accept that there are this group of voters in swing constituencies who will decide who is closest to the middle and then elect that party. It sounds correct, but wait a minute...

Maggie didn't hold the middle ground. Ted Heath was an old One Nation Tory but Maggie wasn't. Maggie was far to the right, closer to the pre-war Tories, but she was elected. So was the main reason Blair got elected because he held the centre ground. Maybe, or was it because the post-Thatcher Conservative Party was divided and had built a reputation of sleaze.

If occupying the centre-ground gets you elected how come we haven't had a Liberal government since Lloyd George.?