Key Takeaway
Party strategists say careful targeting of seats has paid off and should continue, but some say a wider vision is neededOne of the more dramatic moments in a Liberal Democrat conference otherwise short of them came late on Sunday, when the party frontbencher Lisa Smart told the polling veteran John Curtice that, in effect, he no longer understood modern politics.…
Published September 22, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
Party strategists say careful targeting of seats has paid off and should continue, but some say a wider vision is needed
One of the more dramatic moments in a Liberal Democrat conference otherwise short of them came late on Sunday, when the party frontbencher Lisa Smart told the polling veteran John Curtice that, in effect, he no longer understood modern politics.
Details
Curtice had warned the Lib Dems they risked being left behind, with the lack of a coherent national message seeing them all but ignored outside a few electoral strongholds. Smart’s response? In the new era of five- or six-party politics, and mass tactical voting, this does not matter.
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Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
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What is "Caution versus ambition: strategy debate dominates Lib Dem conference" about?+
Party strategists say careful targeting of seats has paid off and should continue, but some say a wider vision is neededOne of the more dramatic moments in a Liberal Democrat conference otherwise short of them came late on Sunday, when the party frontbencher Lisa Smart told the polling veteran John Curtice that, in effect, he no longer understood modern politics.Curtice had warned the Lib Dems they risked being left behind, with the lack of a coherent national message seeing them all but ignored
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.