The Poms like to think of themselves at the centre of political spectrum, with perhaps a streak of conservatism interwoven into their moderation. From the surveys, news, and responses by British FRers on this site, I think their centre has been drifting to the left for quite some time and they still stank they themselves are "centre-right".
Perhaps there is a joke on British political persuasion that says:
1. a leftist stands for what a kook believed a generation ago;
2. a centrist stands for what a leftist believed a generation ago;
3. a conservative stands for what a centrist believed a generation ago;
4. a kook stands for what a conservative believed a generation ago.
I guess it's inevitably, given the steady leftward drift of British politics since WWII. (What would they think of Oswald Mosley today, I wonder?)
Thanks, I'll have to remember that one. And test it on my wife. To be sure I found all my Brit in-laws to be charming, amusing people. But without a doubt their political slant if further left than most Dems I know in America. However since I've been engaged to my wife, I've barraged her with conservative propaganda. She's still not a real conservative, but I did convince her to vote for Bush last November. I consider that one of the main accomplishments of my life...uh, behind marrying my wife of course (heh,heh).