Independent on the LibDems - suicide is painless

There is an extremely optimistic paragraph in this Independent article about the LibDems:

...party strategists insist they are in a stronger position than at equivalent points before previous general elections and argue they are bucking the trend in key marginals, where they are doing "incredibly well". They say they are particularly well placed to make a series of gains from Labour in the Midlands and North.

But I had to very carefully hand-pick it from 16 other paragraphs which are terminally depressing.

Still...I remember when we had only six MPs.