As the Liberal Democrats gather for their annual conference in Brighton this weekend, leader Ed Davey is under pressure to answer a simple question: Why isn’t Britain’s third-largest political party doing better?
Despite winning more than 70 seats at the last general election, a Lib Dem record, the centrist party’s poll ratings have been stagnant in the two years since, while the likes of Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. and Zack Polanski’s Greens have pulled ahead and increasingly dominate voters’ attention. The new Labour government under Andy Burnham has enjoyed a poll bounce too.
That’s led to grumbling among some Liberal Democrat MPs and activists, who are frustrated at the party’s lack of a national breakthrough and want to see Davey take clearer, bolder stances on the big issues affecting voters. Davey is planning to use the conference to begin detailing the party’s pitch for the next general election, including a focus on the cost of living, economic growth and reforming the political system, according to people familiar with the matter.
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