Even Lib Dem MP doesn’t know the point of Lib Dems

Jeremy Browne, the Liberal Democrat MP and former minister, has admitted he doesn’t think “it would be necessary to invent” the Lib Dems if they didn’t already happen to exist.

In an interview with The Times, Browne said of his party:

“Every political party and every politician has to be able to answer the question: if you didn’t exist why would it be necessary to invent you? I’m not sure it would be necessary to invent an ill-defined moderating centrist party.”

Browne has already been in the news this week with the publication of his new book, in which he slams Nick Clegg’s “timidity” in response to Ed Miliband’s cost of living agenda, suggests the top rate of tax be reduced from to 40p, and says that budget ringfencing should be removed from the NHS, with the shortfall made up for with charges for treatment.