Frances Foley goes behind the scenes of Labour–Liberal Democrat cooperation in the 1997 General Election with former Lib Dem Policy Director Duncan Brack, political commentator Peter Kellner, and Compass Director and 1997 Labour electoral negotiator Neal Lawson .

In ’97 an informal arrangement between Labour and the Lib Dems helped drive tactical voting – and a landslide election victory for Labour, ending 18 years of Conservative rule.

What are the lessons from 1997 today? What has changed in the intervening years? And after four election defeats in a row, how might progressive parties work better, and smarter, together?

Duncan Brack is Editor of the Journal of Liberal History, and was Liberal Democrat Policy Director from 1988–94 and special adviser during the coalition government in 2010–12.

Peter Kellner is a political commentator, election analyst and former President of YouGov.

This episode is presented in partnership with the Social Liberal Forum.

There are seats where Labour can't win, but the Tories can lose. Find out more about the Compass campaign Only Stand to Win(https://www.compassonline.org.uk/campaigns/only-stand-to-win/).

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Lessons from '97, in association with Social Liberal Forum | Ep.57