Could the Liberal Democrats be on the brink of an electoral breakthrough?

Ed Davey claims this year’s election will be a ‘once in a generation’ event but giant egg-timers and cheesy slogans aside, what are the prospects for the Lib Dems? Sean O’Grady takes a realistic look at their chances of becoming a parliamentary force to be reckoned with

For the first time since 2010, the party has realistic hopes of winning a substantial number of parliamentary seats (PA)

The Liberal Democrats have had their spring conference and have launched their local election campaign with a typically cheesy photo-op featuring Ed Davey, a giant cardboard egg-timer, and the slogan “Time’s Running Out Rishi!”.

For the first time since the brief outburst of “Cleggmania” during the 2010 campaign, the party has realistic hopes of winning a substantial number of parliamentary seats at a general election, even though it is still languishing in the polls. Davey claims it will be a “once-in-a-generation election”.

On the other hand, a likely Labour landslide means the Lib Dems may have comparatively little influence in the new House of Commons. There remain significant challenges for Davey and his loyal followers...