"As Gary Younge wrote earlier this month, the upcoming British election has moved from a projected rout for the Conservatives to a toss-up. Voters are giving second thoughts to Labour, and to the feisty party to Labour's left--the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats are surging in the polls thanks to a strong populist message and a buoyant performance in the first televised debate by a friend of *The Nation*--Liberal Democrat party leader and ex-*Nation* intern Nick Clegg. Clegg, who worked in journalism for several years after interning with *The Nation* in 1990, has campaigned on a platform <http://libdems.org.uk/our_manifesto_4_key_policies.aspx> that would reform the tax code, reform the financial sector, invest in green collar jobs and crack-down on corruption.
As John Nichols wrote this week<http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/552379/proof_that_opening_debates_to_3rd_parties_matters>, the election in England is proof that opening up debates to third parties can make a difference. But perhaps more importantly, the election in England could provide a model for some wavering Democrats in 2010 and 2012. The Liberal Democrats are running as true progressives, promising to reform the political process and to deliver on a robust package of investments in England's future. By running to the left, instead of the center, they may hang the election, and force Labour or the Tories into a coalition government."