[semanticist]

Labour aren't really social democratic any more - they've basically isolated themselves from the Labour Movement and are fully committed to US-style Corporatist capitalism. In that regard, I agree, they're roughly equivalent to the US Democratic party and doesn't really represent a leftist movement.

The Lib Dems are ineffective, where's the US comparison to the SNP, the Greens, the SSP, actual parties of the left?

[ende]

Right you are, and I'm pretty sure in any European (or other developed) country wherever you find a social democratic party you'll also find a contingent of disenchanted social democrats complaining about how their social democratic party isn't social democratic enough. It could be argued that social democracy naturally lends itself towards corporatism by its very nature. I'm not sure why you say 'US-style Corporatist capitalism' though.. the UK and the rest of Europe were practicing it long before America. Heck, Thatcher predates Reagan too, if that's the angle you had in mind.

I think it's too soon to judge whether the Lib Dems are ineffective.. they're still a young party and are growing faster than either the Tories or Labor (correct me if I'm wrong there). The current system does not favor their existence, so electoral reform is their main priority. The same should be true for all third party movements in the US, as the current system is mathematically predisposed towards two party outcomes. It's not that just hard left parties are missing from the American party system, but rather any partisan organization outside of the two major parties.