LONDON - The last days before the British general election have shown a huge shift in media and polling perspectives - with the traditional third party, the Liberal Democrats, suddenly being seen as a potential power broker.
The Lib Dem leader, Charles Kennedy, whose first child, Donald, was born in the first week of the campaign, is fighting his second election as leader, after two years that have seen him under attack in Parliament, facing accusations of heavy drinking and smoking.
His position as party leader now seems secure - and his party is clawing its way towards what predictions suggest could be a position where it holds the balance of power, taking new seats from Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour and from the main Opposition party, the Conservatives.
Blair took 419 of the 659 parliamentary seats in 1997, giving him a majority of 179, unprecedented since before 1945, and 412 in 2001, a majority of 167. Labour took around 40 per cent of the vote, with a reduced turnout in 2001 and is now on about the same in the opinion polls. A low turnout is forecast this election.
The Conservatives took 165 seats in 1979 and 166 in 2001, with around 25 per cent of the vote. Their poll standing is around 30 per cent.
The Lib Dems took 46 seats in 1979 and in 2001, with 16.8 per cent of the vote and then 52 in 2001, with 18.3 per cent. The party is around 22 per cent in the polls, which should mean it's set for an increase in seats.
The party is now positioned to the left of the Blair Government on most social policies as well as having opposed the invasion of Iraq and will attract sympathy from left wing and disillusioned Labour backbenchers.
The worst-case scenario for Blair being predicted by the polls is that he will be returned with a majority of around 80, the best around 150.
The Lib Dems, holding around 80 seats but able to form a voting coalition with left-wing Labour back benchers, could defeat many Blair initiatives, given the size of the rebellions the last Parliament has seen over education, health and Iraq.
It is this vision that galvanised Blair to begin a mad dash around marginal constituencies, mirrored by similar frantic trips by the Conservative leader, Michael Howard.
Howard, who appeared to be pulling his support up at the start of the election campaign with an anti-immigration platform, now appears in greater difficulty since leaks revealed just how thin the case for the Iraqi war was.
The Conservatives supported the war and are thus less well placed than the Lib Dem party to capitalise.
Both Blair and Howard have been attacking Kennedy - underlining just how real both parties think the Lib Dem danger is.
Lib Dems poised as power brokers
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