Can a British please explain to me their conception of "liberal" and how the Liberal Democrats fit in?

We have some UK jellies who consider themselves experts on US politics; I’d have thought they’d be all over this.

Yeah me too. It is something that I am really curious about.

I’m not ‘A British’. Also, if the question were reversed, I’m sure you’d all be at a loss to answer such a broad and open question like, ‘How the feck did Trump get elected and what are Libertarians and how do they fit in with the Democrats and Bernie Sanders?’ (but be accurate and specific because otherwise we will ridicule you.) Yeah, notice I’m not asking such a question. It’s not answerable here. Take a class on British politics or move here for a year and study it.

@ScienceChick Yes, clearly the OP left out a noun which I noticed too but it certainly is valid to ask British people for some of their understanding about British political parties and where they stand. That’s kind of the purpose of the site.

(But I’ll be sure never to ask about your country unless I have a year to go and live there.)

@ScienceChick Yup. Sorry about the typo in the OP. No offense intended. I meant to write, “Can a British Jelly…” but I was thinking faster than I was typing.

I am 54 and work up to 70 hours a week at times. I don’t have time to take a class in British politics, nor do I wish to move to Britain simply to get my question answered. So if you do not wish to answer then that’s fine. No problem. Thank you for your time.

I’m sure there are videos you can watch, but working 70 hours a week at 54 years of age, why waste your time? It’s a strange tale of lack of reliable leadership and some party members being socially embarrassed when racist comments leap from their mouths unexpectedly. If I can recommend any sort of informative and entertaining interface for you, there is a program we get here on ALL 4 that is on You Tube called ‘The Last Leg’ and it’s a comedy/political show. It might give you some insight into the who’s who and who is doing what and what the public think of it. Here’s a link for a taste of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdDm3W7on4Y

The liberal democrats are the centre. Although given the way that politics in general seems to be heading for the extremes (on either side) at the moment they have become somewhat irrelevant.

@Lightlyseared Thank you. What does the “centre” mean for British politics?

@ScienceChick I “waste my time” because I am trying to learn more, and it’s a topic that for whatever reason has interested me. That’s why I’m asking for people’s opinions.

Here is an inforgraphic and article that might help, but it’s a bit old and stops at 2014. Still pretty accurate, though. https://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/07/23/britains-changing-political-spectrum/

@ScienceChick That’s interesting. Normally I don’t like infographics but this one is pretty good, thanks!

Sorry I sounded mad at you for asking, I wasn’t. I was flabbergasted at the task of having to explain the politics over here and where, in history, to start. Personally, I’ve thrown my arms up at the Brits calling for a Brexit and the irony to an Irish person is deep, believe it.

I can give you my personal views as someone who lives in the northern part of the UK. The Liberal Democrats hoped to open up British politics by offering an alternative to the right/left options of the Conservative/Labour parties. They tried to balance the rights of the individual with support for the communities they live in. By taking the middle ground they hoped to attract voters from right and left but this has happened only to a limited extent.

The Libdems as they are called, haven’t done so well in elections and they are underrepresented in parliament where their share of the popular vote isn’t reflected in the number of seats they hold. One of the issues they feel strongly about is proportional representation. Another is that the UK should remain part of Europe and that the British people should be allowed to vote on any final deal.

Their ideals seem very sound to me and are those of the enlightenment which aimed to do away with privilege and replace it with representative democracy and the rule of law. The trouble I feel is with “branding”. The very name Libdems sounds quite wishy washy and whereas most people know what is meant by Labour and Conservative they aren’t so clear about Liberal Democrats.

@ScienceChick “I was flabbergasted at the task of having to explain the politics over here and where, in history, to start.” Did that leave you Breathless?

@Brian1946 more like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts

@ScienceChick I’ve always liked that one, and now I know the title. From what I saw in the video and heard from the music, it’s a powerful protest against toxic testosterone.

@Brian1946 Egos with Crowns on their heads and Catholic robes on their backs, yeah.

@ScienceChick No problem. Thank you for the effort. It’s just that here in the US, as you know, we do not have a viable third party (and certainly no longer a centrist party). As I wrote, I understand the Libdems on paper as I’ve read about it but I didn’t know what a British individual (see? a noun!) thought about them.

@flutherother Thank you. Politics interest me. I’ve asked similar questions to friends in New Zealand about the difference between the National Party and the Labour party. Both are centrist—just different places on the spectrum.

@Caravanfan strictly speaking, I’m not British, but I have had to live under their influence pretty much all of my life.

Well then thank you again for your time. I really appreciate it.