Lib Dem chief serves up dose of reality as he starts listening
NEW Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has kicked off his national ‘listening tour’ in Greater Manchester after warning his party it had lost touch with voters.
In his acceptance speech last week Sir Ed told his colleagues it was time to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ after three disappointing general election campaigns
The former deputy leader believes the Lib Dems have lost their way - at least nationally - and too many voters are no longer convinced the party is ‘on their side’
And he says the party must start listening to people again if it is to reverse its fortunes at the ballot box.
Sir Ed came to Stockport to begin his campaign to reengage with voters and once more build trust with people - and he was prepared to hear some unvarnished opinions.
“They can be as frank as they like, I would rather a bit of good strong Manchester truth than gilding the lily,” he said.
“I want to know what people think, what their problems are, what their concerns are - and what their hopes are, what their dreams are. People have aspirations and I want Liberal Democrats to speak to their aspirations as well as solve their problems.”
His itinerary included a visit to a Taylor’s Fish and Chip shop - a long-standing family business which in recent years has opened a coffee shop as a social enterprise.
“The idea is I really embed myself in businesses and organisations with people who are working, who are caring, teaching and whatever, so I can get them to speak to me openly and frankly about the problems they face for a while. About the problems with Covid and their aspirations for the future.
“I want to absorb all their views and share them with my colleagues and I’m also keen that my parliamentary colleagues in Westminster go out and do some listening exercises,” he said.
Sir Ed believes his party has strong local campaigners and councillors in the area who connect with people in a way which is not happening nationally.
Last May the party enjoyed a surge in the local elections which saw it gain hundreds of councillors across the country. In Stockport it came within a whisker of retaking control of the council, after deposing four Conservatives and an independent.
But this did not translate to the general election just seven months later, where the Conservatives romped home on a pledge to ‘Get Brexit Done’.
The Liberal Democrats, of course, were very much on the other side of the debate, with their ‘B*llocks to Brexit’ slogan. But did a switch from offering a ‘people’s vote’ to vowing to overturn the 2016 referendum result, create the image of a party that doesn’t listen?
“I think that is likely to be in the mix,” said Sir Ed. “But I think, if I’m honest, our problems are deeper than just one election or one issue. We’ve had three successive elections where nationally we have performed poorly.”
However, while the next general election is not due for another four years, the new Lib Dem chief believes his party can still play a part in steering the country through the huge challenge of the post-Covid recovery.
“I want to be the voice of the millions of selfemployed small business people who are the lifeblood of our economy - the lifeblood of the north west economy.”