The policies and positions articulated by the new government suggest not so much the once vaunted Third Way (a slogan for the age of prosperity) as a carefully calibrated Middle Way. It is clear, for example, that the sacred cows of public services and social benefits – among the most extensive in the world – will not remain untouched.
在某种意义上，保守自由两党联盟的出现意味着这一趋势的最终确立。新政府所采取的政策和立场不再是过去繁荣年代所吹嘘的“第三条道路”，而是一条小心平衡的“中间道路”。最明显的例子，莫过于原本似乎神圣不可侵犯——而且费用也居世界前列——的公共服务和社会福利不再是政治禁区，并将遭到削减。