What's the big idea?

If the Lib Dems are not making their policies heard, it’s hardly for want of trying. With the most hyper-active press office of all the political parties, Lib Dems regale political journalists daily, often hourly, with a running commentary on the day’s events: ‘Clegg calls for action over energy crisis’; ‘Government’s diploma scheme is a mess’; ‘Political posturing won’t end gun crime’ and so on. The party now has a clutch of effective performers, such as Vince Cable, Chris Huhne and Steve Webb who, along with Nick Clegg, are capable of turning out a measured and knowledgable response on any issue of the day.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that the only two stories to have made big headlines for the Lib Dems recently have been Nick Clegg’s 30-plus lovers and Lembit Öpik’s increasingly flamboyant love life. When it comes to politics, the only two stories in town are how unsuited Gordon Brown seems to be to the top job, and how David Cameron can almost walk on water. Well, that’s the media for you, but is there anything the Lib Dems can do to raise their profile in the national political debate?

They should start with a look at their own history, which suggests that Lib Dems do well when the public are fed up with one party, and best when they are fed up with both the major parties. Unhappily for Nick Clegg, this time around the voters are in the first flush of their relationship with David Cameron, and have yet to become disillusioned. And Cameron, good PR guy that he is, has been brilliant at projecting his party as the party of change – whether it’s on the environment, on the devolution of power, or on civil liberties.

Tactically then, it would seem a mistake for the Lib Dems to run along in the Tories’ tailwind, echoing the same policies, even if they can rightly claim that they got there first. Lib Dem strategists argue that voters will realise they are the genuine article, compared to the Tory posturers, and point to David Cameron riding a bicycle with a car driving his clothes and papers behind him. But fair or not – and genuine or not – Cameron is running away with the green agenda.

Then there’s taxation. The Lib Dems have performed an extraordinary political manoeuvre and now want a 4p cut in the basic rate of tax, having fought the last election on a pledge to raise tax for some, with their proposed 50 per cent rate. If nothing else, that will leave the voters confused as to the Lib Dems’ basic instincts. 

At the last election, the Lib Dems had one unique selling point: their opposition to the Iraq war. They have yet to find one for the next election. If there’s an obvious seam for them to tap, it’s surely the anti-politics mood of the country. Perhaps they’d be better easing up on the running commentary, and focusing on finding the next big idea.