The labour/tory power base is the whole problem. A government will never actively do things which benefit society unless they are under pressure to because of strong opposition. The Lib Dems are the only viable opposition. Labour and the conservatives are just 2 sides of the same coin that represent different tribal interest in the country. Tribal interests which are becoming increasingly insignificant. On another level the Lib Dems are the only party whose ideology isn?t either distasteful to anyone without some form of antisocial personality disorder or basically non-existent. That?s not to say that if they were given the unchallenged power that Labour have had over the last era they wouldn?t also turn into slimy, rancid, scum. But for now they have something to prove and a mandate which contains a social conscience. Anyone who sees themselves as part of society rather than seeing society are something there to serve their ends, can?t possibly see the conservatives as the viable alternative.