Bouncing onto the stage, Sir Ed Davey’s intent was evident. Dressed in all dark navy, and sporting a pair of sunglasses that were whipped off in a dramatic flourish, the gangster symbolism was not lost on the audience inside the York Barbican.
After summarising the success of the Liberal Democrats over the last two years, commemorating former members Ming Campbell and Jim Wallace, and listing historical “liberal” achievements, the focus quickly shifted to Sir Ed’s favourite subject.
And so began the pattern of the speech. Trump, Reform, Trump and then some more Reform, for good measure.
Launching attack after attack, Ed Davey repeatedly likened Reform and the Conservatives to “con men” and labelled Keir Starmer “out of touch”. Likewise, he accused all other parties of selling out to Trump over the conflict in Iran, calling it an act of “betrayal” and painting the Lib Dems as the only ones really standing up to Trump. He likened this war to the one in Iraq, saying that “the establishment are pointing in one direction, and our conscience in the other”.
Sir Ed also highlighted his belief in the need for a closer relationship with European Allies, to protect against Trump. “True national security is more than just hardware; it is alliances and respect in the world.”
He also reiterated the party’s disdain for Brexit, saying: “it was sabotage masquerading as patriotism.”
This culminated in the announcement of a shift in Lib Dem policy, championing the development of an Independent Nuclear Deterrent to ensure that the UK is not dependent on the goodwill of the USA. Noticeably, this was not roundly well received, with audible shouts of “no” from a small, yet vocal, minority of the auditorium.
Moving back to Reform (yet again!), Sir Ed claimed that Farage has no wish to solve people’s problems, and instead desires the UK to become like Trump’s America.
“Strip away Farage’s insults and outrage, and there is nothing left”, he accused.
This was followed by a call for a renewed national commitment to the Magna Carta, developing into a written constitution to fight authoritarianism and protect the Rule of Law. He argued that the rise of the right in the UK is the “internal war” that is just as dangerous as the international ones.
Rounding up, Davey bombarded Trump, calling him an “authoritarian creep” before criticising Labour’s failure of leadership, and the Conservatives’ negligence as both the leading and opposition party. Furthermore, he accused Reform and the Greens of being nothing more than “anger and bluster”. Davey contended that his party is the only one that doesn’t “offer a slogan or a scapegoat”. Over the party’s 100-year history, the present opportunity to climb the rungs of power is primed for a new leadership era.
Another rallying proclamation of the Lib Dems’ “moral responsibility” to stop Reform, alongside the ever-present call for proportional representation, closed the proceedings. Sir Ed then promptly danced off the stage to Chappel Roan’s Hot to Go, joining the Liberal Democrat MPs for the chorus choreography.