Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said his party is on course to replace the Conservatives in Middle England, launching a local election campaign with a challenge to both the Tories and Labour.
Davey will lead the campaign today [31st March] in Oxfordshire and has positioned the Lib Dems as an alternative to the two main parties, accusing the Conservatives of being “sneering” and Labour of failing to deliver real change, leaving people “deeply disappointed.”
“These local elections are a chance for the Liberal Democrats to replace the Conservatives as the party of Middle England,” he said. “We can overtake the Conservatives as the second biggest party of local government, replacing failing Conservative-run councils that take their residents for granted with Liberal Democrats that work hard for their local communities.”
Davey added that the Lib Dems are a “natural home” for voters who are disillusioned with both Labour and the Conservatives following a recent survey showing the party is topping the polls in the South of England.
“People are deeply disappointed with Labour’s failure to deliver the change they promised and are turning to the Liberal Democrats as the party holding this government to account, from the family farm tax to winter fuel payment cuts,” he said.
His comments come as the party targets key areas where they gained ground against the Conservatives in last year’s general election, including Shropshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, and Hertfordshire. They’re also looking to challenge Labour in areas such as Hull and East Yorkshire, with hopes to elect its first-ever Metro Mayor.
While the Lib Dems celebrate their recent electoral gains, the question remains whether they can translate voter frustration with Labour into long-standing support. With Nigel Farage’s Reform UK also competing for disgruntled voters, Davey needs to convince voters that the Lib Dems are more than just a protest vote.
Davey dismissed Conservative criticism of his party’s focus on local issues, responding to Kemi Badenoch’s recent comment that the Lib Dems were more concerned with “fixing church roofs” than national politics.
“Liberal Democrats get the job done. Kemi Badenoch may sneer at us for being the party that will fix your local church roof, but we will proudly wear that as a badge of honour. We are focused on fixing the local issues people care about, whether it’s fixing potholes, helping you see a GP or dentist, or cleaning up rivers polluted by filthy sewage.”
After securing their best-ever general election result last year, the Lib Dems now face their next challenge on May 1st, and it is yet to be seen whether they’ll replace the Conservatives in local government and gain the trust of voters frustrated with Labour.
