Polly Toynbee reminded us yesterday of who were some of the social democrats in the great Labour break-away of the early 1980s: Andrew Lansley, for example, now a Tory dismantling the NHS, and opposed by his former colleague, Shirley Williams, now in the Lib Dems. Danny Finkelstein advised one Tory leader (William Hague) just as his colleague, Andrew Cooper, now advises David Cameron. Both Roger Liddle and Andrew Adonis advised Blair after a spell in the Lib Dems, though Adonis, after being a rather good Labour Transport Secretary, now backs Michael Gove on Academy schools. Continue reading →