Meeting in the middle: the clustering effect

Today sees local elections across the UK, with the highest profile battle being fought over the mayorship of London.  While there are two high-profile candidates in Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone, there are a number of other candidates who represent a whole range of political views from the far right to the far left.

There is a significant third candidate in the middle, Brian Paddick.  While he is unlikely to get elected, he has a significant impact on the policies of the two front-runners.  There are many differences in policies between the Conservatives and Labour, and this difference is driven by the existence of the third option.  Continue reading “Meeting in the middle: the clustering effect”