Knights prepare for battle in Commons
Former coalition Cabinet minister wins leadership contest, saying it is time to ‘start listening’ to voters
Sir Ed Davey admitted that the Liberal Democrats had “lost touch” with voters, as he was declared the winner of the party’s leadership contest yesterday. His triumph means that, alongside Sir Keir Starmer, the two main opposition parties are led by knights of the realm for the first time. Sir Ed, whose party has 11 MPS, said it was time to “wake up and smell the coffee”. “Voters have been sending us a message, but we have not been listening,” he said.
SIR ED DAVEY admitted that the Liberal Democrats had “lost touch” with voters yesterday, as he emerged victorious in the party’s leadership contest.
He promised to tour the country to hear the “uncomfortable truths” and vowed to bring the party back to “national relevance”.
His triumph means that two major opposition parties are led by knights of the realm for the first time.
Sir Ed beat his rival Layla Moran by a margin of 63.5 to 36.5 per cent. However, 42 per cent of those eligible did not vote, suggesting the contest failed to fire up the membership. In a live streamed acceptance speech, Sir Ed said: “Voters don’t believe the Lib Dems want to help ordinary people get on in life. Voters don’t believe we share their values. And voters don’t believe we are on the side of people like them.
“Voters have been sending us a message, but we have not been listening. It is time for us to start listening.”
Since the coalition government, in which Sir Nick Clegg joined forces with David Cameron’s Conservatives in 2010, the party has suffered from a string of disappointing election results. The Lib Dems had 57 seats on entering government in 2010, but despite claims by Jo Swinson, the former leader, that she was a “genuine contender” to become prime minister, the party won just 11 seats in last year’s general election. Sir Ed, a former Cabinet minister in the coalition, said it was now time to “wake up and smell the coffee”. He said: “Nationally our party has lost touch with too many voters. Yes, we are powerful advocates locally. Our campaigners listen to local people, work hard for communities and deliver results. But at the national level, we have to face the facts of three disappointing general election results.” Dr Mike Finn, a political historian at the University of Exeter, suggested the party had missed a chance to “draw a line under the toxic legacy of the coalition” by failing to elect a fresh face. Dr Finn, who worked as a speech writer for Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader, said: “It took them a long time to build up a broad coalition of support among young students and public sector professionals in the period prior to their time in government, neither of which responded well to their role in the coalition.
“The hard-remain position is also a huge issue in places that have been traditional heartlands for Lib Dems in the South West.” Dr Finn suggested that progress would be “incremental” and suggested the party should target individual seats as part of a long-term strategy.
Sir Ed made a series of pledges in his election campaign, such as universal free childcare. He also vowed to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and invest £150billion into a green recovery package. Ms Moran said: “I look forward to working with him to campaign for a better future for Britain.” Caroline Lucas, the Green leader, said she would work with Sir Ed “to hold this appalling Government to account”. Amanda Milling, the Conservative co-chairman, said: “They have a new leader in place, but he has shown time and again he does not share the values of the British people.”