‘Lib Dems must represent all of Britain’s amazing communities’
PARTY LEADER SIR ED DAVEY DISCUSSES DIVERSITY, INDIA AND REPAIRING RELATIONS WITH THE EU
THE Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, hopes to play a crucial role after the next general election by improving on the 14 MPs that his party currently has in the Commons.
Sir Ed, who was first elected an MP in 1997 and now represents Kingston and Surbiton, was elected his party’s leader in 2020. He was secretary of state for energy and climate change from 2012-2015 in David Cameron’s coalition government.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, the Lib Dem leader set out his policies on everything from Brexit to climate change, a Free Trade Agreement with India, diversity and Rishi Sunak.
Building a post-Brexit relationship with the European Union: The question is, how do we get to a state where we can support our businesses and exporters and help make trade a way of getting out of the economic mess?
Fundamentally, we need a close relationship with Europe. And we will say that unambiguously. You start by recognising that Europe doesn’t trust us any longer and it will take some time to rebuild those relationships.
But it’s got to be a step-by-step approach. It’s got to be practical. Let’s get away from the shouty ideological stuff. We’ve got to try and bring the country together as we rebuild that relationship.
We did a piece of work, where for a year we were going around the UK, talking to people, talking to businesses. We talked to people in Europe as well. We’re the only party to publish very detailed 40 pages of proposals. We need to be realistic about how quickly we can do things.
Just to give one or two very specific examples – we’re being shut out of the Horizon Project, which is all about scientists and universities working together for the common good. That is worth billions to the UK, particularly to our universities. And we need mutual recognition of professional qualifications and equivalents for financial services.
The UK needs to agree what’s called a veterinary agreement, because the biggest part of it is food and drink, and looking at how we can get rid of some of the barriers to trade.
Plans for the general We will fight everything as we always do.
It’s not surprising that there are areas where we’ve got better chances, as you’ve seen after our Chesham and Amersham by-election victory that I christened the ‘blue wall’. I do think there are a lot of seats, not just in the south of England, but
election:
in places like Greater Manchester or parts of Yorkshire and the southwest where we are the only ones who can beat Conservative MPs.
I don’t think the Labour party will do it (win the election) by themselves.
On how the Lib Dems can achieve greater diversity:
We’re very keen if there are any readers of Eastern Eye, who are Liberal Democrat members or Lib Dem inclined, to come forward because we are desperate to increase the diversity of our candidates and our MPs.
We have Munira Wilson, the MP for Twickenham who is from the British Indian community. We have Layla Moran (MP for Oxford West and Abingdon), who is half Palestinian.
From our current 14 MPs, I would always want to increase our diversity. The more members we have from diverse communities, the more likely we can find candidates from diverse communities. I’m very keen for more and more people, who share our values, to join the Liberal Democrats. I’m determined that we represent all the amazing communities that our country has, because they are the strength of Britain, and I want that to be a strength of the Liberal Democrats.
On a Free Trade Agreement with India: Well, it would be fantastic because it would really help our economy. There are massive benefits to be had.
My worry is if you’re prime minister Narendra Modi, and you’re looking at the benefits for India having a deal with the EU and a deal with UK, I know which one would look to me to have more benefits for India.
As I understand it, the EU is ahead of us in this regard.
Climate change: It’s an issue that is close to my heart. It’s a massive issue for us. As someone who had the honour to be secretary of state for energy and climate change, I represented the UK at three of the UN COPs.
For Liberal Democrats, action on solar or renewables is fundamental to how we escape (from the effects of climate change). I have been deeply upset by the Conservative approach on renewables.
I’ve had the privilege to speak to prime minister Narendra Modi about it. I went to visit him with Nick Clegg (former Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister in the coalition government).
He wrote this amazing pamphlet when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. I thought it was very powerful. And he took action. He was the first chief minister of an Indian state to have a climate change minister.
He did amazing things with solar power. He put up these solar panels over the canals, which produce electricity but also reduce condensation evaporation, thus saving water. Really smart.
When I met Modi, I set out why he could be a global leader on the issue, partly because of his track record.
I would argue that bringing electricity to the many rural areas in India is a fantastic political, human, societal and economic objective. The fossil fuel industry will never bring electricity to thousands of villages across India.
But if you have micro grids with solar energy, you can
bring clean, cheap power to the villages. And you can make sure that India becomes energy independent.
On Rishi Sunak: I’m actually very proud that we have a prime minister who has an Indian heritage. I think it is a real tribute
to our country.
And while I may have disagreements with Sunak on policy details – of course, I do – I think he is both a signal to the world that Britain celebrates diversity, and that you can come from whatever background and you can get on in our country. That is our fantastic strength.
I hope people from all different communities can look to the prime minister and politicians of all parties who have come from different minority communities and say, ‘this is a country where if you get into the political system, you can progress. You can get elected, get into the cabinet, even get the top job.’ That is really important because we’re only going to become an even more United Kingdom and a happier country if people feel that they truly belong – and that the sky’s the limit.
On Labour’s personal attacks on Sunak’s wealth and education: I don’t do that. I think it’s very important to focus political debate on policy.
On the war in Ukraine: Their (Ukrainian) morale is high. They are outraged that president Putin and the Russians are behaving in the way that they are. They have a determination and resolution that is not there in the Russian forces. And now they have some of the weapons that they didn’t have before. I think they will continue to push the Russians back – it will be at a high cost but they seem willing to
pay that price.