Sir Ed Davey said the Liberal Democrats are “a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform” as the party’s conference began in Brighton.
The Lib Dem leader sought to strike a combative stance as he faced down some criticism from MPs, including one who said publicly that they felt the party was struggling for relevance.
On the first day of the autumn conference, Davey warned an “unholy alliance” between Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, and Farage could turn the UK into a ‘Trump satellite state’.
Addressing speculation about a possible snap election, he said the party was ready to fight and would build its so-called orange wall even higher by winning more than its 2024 record of 72 MPs.
Davey’s attention-grabbing stunts helped raise the party’s profile ahead of the last election, but recent polling showed 43 per cent of respondents were unclear what the Liberal Democrats stand for, with just over half describing them as “weak”.
In an essay written ahead of conference, South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage asked: “Why are we as a party struggling for relevance at precisely the moment when so many people feel powerless?”
She urged the party to rediscover its “insurgent spirit” rather than being the “polite custodians of a system that leaves people feeling powerless”.
Asked about her comments, Davey said: “No, I heard Roz [Savage], and I really value her, but I think she’s wrong on that.
”If you look at our election results up and down the country, we now run more councils than the Conservatives.”
”Listen, MPs get elected and they get frustrated because they can’t change the world.
”I’m afraid that’s the political system. I’ve been used to it for a little while and people are learning about that frustration.”
Speaking on the pebbles of Brighton Beach, Davey told reporters the Liberal Democrats would fight to stop a Reform government.
”One of the things that makes us unique is that we are a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform,” he said.
”Many of the seats he needs to get himself into No 10 are seats that we will defend and indeed win – and we are also able to take seats off the Conservatives, because I really fear that Kemi Badenoch will give the keys to No 10 to Nigel Farage, so we have got to stop the Conservatives as well.
”We have got an historic opportunity to win many more seats and a moral responsibility to stop Reform.”