IN AN important speech for him, one setting the tone of his command, new Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy called on members at their annual conference today not to take the party to the left of Labour as it would spell electoral doom.

Mr Kennedy, of course, does not need to be a political sage in order to preach this lesson.

It is blindingly obvious that the vast majority of votes won in modern Britain are on the middle ground .

That's why Labour was led there by Tony Blair and why his "people-ism" looks like old-style "one-nation" Conservatism while today's Tories have, in turn, been pushed - mainly by euro-sceptic forces seeking clear, blue water - to the right of that.

Where does that leave the Lib-Dems, then?

They can hardly go to the right of the Tories and risk looking like New Labour clones if they move more to the centre - indeed, many members resent the party being seduced by Mr Blair on to his "Third Way" wagon.

Staying centrists is the Lib-Dems safest bet, but presenting themselves at the same time as a distinct alternative to Labour will prove the problem.

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