Davey says Lib Dems ‘strong force’ as conference to firm up election platform

Sir Ed Davey has said the Liberal Democrats are a “strong force” as he seeks to firm up a platform for his party to take into the next election that will grab the public’s attention.He said the annual Lib Dem party conference, kicking off on Saturday, will look at putting health and the economy at the heart of the party’s agenda ahead of the next general election, which is due in 2029 unless Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Andy Burnham calls one earlier.It comes as one of his MPs said the party was “struggling for relevance”.Sir Ed Davey has been Liberal Democrat leader since 2020 (Yui Mok/PA)PA WireBut Sir Ed said his party was a “really strong force now” as he spoke to the Press Association ahead of the conference.He said: “The last general election we got our best result for over 100 years.“Since then, we’ve kept winning council by-elections, and at the local elections we keep making gains.”The party leader added: “So there’s a lot of people who are putting their faith in the Liberal Democrats, and we will go into the next election strong, stronger than we’ve ever been in my time in politics.”Sir Ed has sought to boost his party’s profile with attention-grabbing stunts and ramped them up before the last general election in which the Lib Dems returned a record number of MPs.But it has struggled to maintain a strong presence as Reform UK and the Green Party have often managed to generate more headlines.The party was described as “weak” in new YouGov polling by just over half of those asked, and while the survey signalled the public largely sees the Lib Dems as moderate, 43% said it is unclear what they stand for.It noted the Lib Dems have trailed other parties in voting intention polls for most of the last year and have seen “no real growth in support since the last general election”.South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage said the party must rediscover its “insurgent spirit” rather than being the “polite custodians of a system that leaves people feeling powerless” in an essay for the Compass group days ahead of conference.Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey with Roz Savage, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, in March 2025 (Danny Lawson/PA)PA ArchiveThe Lib Dem wrote: “If Liberalism has so much to offer this moment, we have to address the elephant in the room: why are we as a party struggling for relevance at precisely the moment when so many people feel powerless?”Read MoreSir Ed, who has led his party since 2020, says what makes a good leader is “success at elections ultimately”.He said: “We got our best result for 100 years at the last election.“Since then, we keep winning at local elections and building up, and I think we’ll go into the next election the strongest we’ve ever been, or at least for over 100 years.”Sir Ed said there were “two building blocks” to develop for the party’s election platform – with health and the economy at the forefront of the programme.On the first day of conference, the party leader is set to visit a fish and chip shop to highlight the cost-of-living pressures that make such dinners out difficult for many to afford.He rejected that Mr Burnham’s choice to centre reforming social care – which Sir Ed has long pushed for – and his pledge to take “stronger public control” of water companies will shift focus from his party’s message.Sir Ed said: “Not at all, proves we’re right. But at the moment, it’s a bit vibey, right? It’s lots of vibes, lots of good social media.“But if he’s just Keir Starmer with… better social media, that doesn’t cut it.”“But listen, I believe that you should work with any party who wants to do the things you’ve been arguing about,” the Kingston and Surbiton MP said.He rejected that this will make it more difficult to draw a dividing line with Labour.Sir Ed said: “Still a lot of people distrust Labour, and they don’t see them talking about the sort of things we’re talking about, whether it’s on the economy, whether it’s on Europe, and they also say (Mr Burnham) may be talking about social care and people, but is he doing anything about it?“So we will still lead our agenda, and we’ve got many things that are distinctive between us and the Labour Government, and we’ll continue to campaign on that and hold them to account.”But it is Reform that the party is targeting as a major opponent alongside the Tories.Sir Ed claimed it is “increasingly clear” that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is preparing for a post-election pact with Nigel Farage’s party – something she has rejected repeatedly.On Saturday, he will say Mrs Badenoch and Mr Farage are seeking to turn Britain into a “Trump satellite state” which would harm the NHS and the environment and turn communities against each other.And Sir Ed will pitch the party as “willing to fight” and say that Reform is hoping that they will give up out of tiredness or depression, but that a “bigger orange wall” is needed to stop his path to Downing Street.Chairman of the Conservative Party, Kevin Hollinrake, responded and said: “The Liberal Democrats seem more interested in attacking the Conservatives than holding Labour to account. Unlike Kemi ruling out a deal with Reform, the Liberal Democrats have not ruled out a deal with Labour at the next election, because the truth is, time and time again in Parliament, they have been Labour enablers.“They have backed Labour on scrapping shorter prison sentences, lifting the two-child cap and ending Right to Buy. They voted against Conservative efforts to cut energy bills, protect high streets and shield taxpayers from failing water companies. At every opportunity, they have enabled Labour’s most reckless policies.”