Electoral politics has never been so volatile. Not only is this the most open election since the 1920s. The uncertainties are a symptom of deeper discontents. Even before the expenses scandal, the party system rested on a shallow foundation of public consent. Now, everything is far worse. The anti-politician mood is unreasonable and self-indulgent. But it has a firm grip on public opinion. That is unlikely to change in a mere two and a half weeks.
It is equally unreasonable that this should benefit the Liberals, but it will. For years, they have marketed themselves as the anti-politician party, and succeeded, which is absurd. In a pejorative sense of the word – Shakespeare's "vile politician" – they are the most political of all the parties. They will say almost anything to win votes. In the two major parties, most politicians at least started out with a set of beliefs. Talk to them, and you can understand why they came into politics and why they joined their party. Among Liberals, that is much more difficult.
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