The Core Vote strategy

Core vote strategy is something of a dirty term in British politics. It has become shorthand for Tory retreat into issues that please its base - a strategy credited with keeping them in the lows 30s in general elections since 1997.

This year the Liberal Democrats in Brighton are having a core vote conference, with an emphasis on green issues and higher taxes on the rich (officially the message is 'fairer' taxes but Sir Menzies went much further yesterday and this morning's papers are full of Libs-to-hammer-the-rich stories). Both are undoubtedly activist-pleasing messages.

But is this a good idea? MPs, it seems, are divided.

On one hand, the argument goes, a party like the Liberal Democrats, with limited resources, can only realistically make the running in two or three issues. The environment, which is the theme of the conference, is the perfect Lib Dem topic, and unites the party activists. This is particularly important during this fraught conference, where the leadership would be unwise to open up battles on a new front.

On the other, talking about the same limited number of subjects risks the charge that they are more think tank than political party. They believe the only way they can reach out to new voters is to put forward a bold policy programme on areas like public services. The party does have a bold set of quasi-Blairite suggestions on health, driven by Norman Lamb,  and education, by David Laws. Some MPs believe there is a opportunity to make the political weather with a radical, anti-professional agenda. But there seems little attempt to push this agenda by Ming himself.

You could mischievously call this the Chris Huhne (environment) vs Nick Clegg (new agenda) debate, although both would run a mile from such labels.

There is a slightly more depressing theory: does it matter. As more long sighted Lib Dems remind themselves, the fate of the third party is determined by the performance of Labour and Tories. The first half of the year saw a Cameron bounce, the second a Brown bounce, leaving little room for Sir Menzies. As Tim Hames, the Times chief leader writer, points out, the Liberal Democrats would have struggled to get noticed over the last 12 months even if they had elected the Pope their leader.

But there is little sense to outsiders that the party are having this debate. After the difficult time that Sir Menzies has endured, it is understandable if he retreats into a more defensive, more core vote strategy. But not everybody is sure he is right.