h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nigel Farage of UKIP made an interesting point on Question Time tonight. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/5362992.stm)

Talking about how Labour have stolen the clothes of the Tories and the Tories have reacted by moving to the Left, he came up with a suggestion.

Why don't the Tory & Labour Parties just have done with it and merge. They're virtually indistinguishable anyway and this may leave the way clear for a real Socialist and a real Conservative party to come forward.

What do you think? A bit glib, or a kernel of sense at the heart of it?

Yes I reckon to any cuckoo headed looney anything other than a fellow extremist would be appear to be indistinguishable.

Both big national parties already represent a political alliance of a broad swathe of local setups and single-issue interest groups. In order to merge I think they'd both have to shed these, and thus a lot of their power structure and traditional support with them. Wouldn't happen.

Besides, if you did get a centrist party flanked by socialists and conservatives then you'd just end up with coalitions. Same old, same old.