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Chris Cook lifts the lid on the ´third Party;´ charting their fascinating journey over the last century, from the landslide victory of 1906 under Asquith, via their descent into divisions and decline in the interwar years, to in-depth analysis of the 2010 British Election and their return to Government in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.

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The Liberal Democrats have languished in the political shadows for a generation. With the advent of the 2010 television debates, they have returned once more to the spotlight. Cleggmania, ´I Agree With Nick´ and talk of the ´Kingmaker´ dominated coverage of the General Election of 2010. At the Polls, the electorate delivered a Hung Parliament and placed the Party back in Government, in coalition with the Conservatives.
Chris Cook lifts the lid on the ´third Party´. Providing an indispensable account of their journey over the last century, he charts the Party´s journey from the historic landslide victory of 1906, via their descent into divisions and decline in the interwar years, to in-depth analysis of the 2010 election. He asks, what of their future? Will the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition divide the party? And what are the electoral prospects for the party? Chris Cook charts the journey of the Liberal Democrats from the landslide victory of 1906 to in-depth analysis of the 2010 British Election campaign and return to coalition government.

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Acknowledgements Introduction The Liberal Tradition Liberalism in Eclipse The Liberals in Opposition: 1900-1906 The Liberal Ascendancy: 1906-1910 The Crisis of Liberalism: 1910-1914 Liberals at War: 1914-1918 A Party Divided: 1918-1923 Revival and Decline: 1923-1926 Lloyd George Again: 1926-1931 Dissension and Decline: 1931-1945 A Party in the Wilderness: 1945-1956 The Sound of Gunfire: 1956-1967 The Thorpe Leadership: 1967-1976 Pacts and Alliances: 1976-1983 A Tale of Two Leaders: 1983-1987 Merger Most Foul: 1987-1988 A New Agenda: 1988-1992 Voting for Change: 1992-1997 Living with Labour: 1997-2001 An Effective Opposition: 2001-2005 From Kennedy to Clegg: 2005-2010 Voting for Deadlock: The General Election of May 2010 Consenting Adults: The Liberal-Conservative Coalition Appendix I: Major Holders of Party Office, 1900-1988 Appendix II: Major Holders of Liberal Democrat Office, 1988-2010 Appendix III: The Liberal Vote, 1918-2001 Appendix IV: Liberal By-Election Victories since 1945 Appendix V: Liberal Democratic Seats (After May 2010) Appendix VI: The Continuing Liberal Party Bibliographical Note Index

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