Ed Davey rejects calls to stand aside as Lib Dems seek poll cut-through

Liberal Democrat delegates gathered in Brighton for their autumn conference amid open concern that the party is failing to cut through in national polling, even after its record general election result two years ago. The conference agenda included maternity care, big tech regulation and water reform, but much of the discussion inside the hall was about why the party's message is not landing with voters.

Sir Ed Davey used the conference to defend his leadership and to argue that the party is united and successful. He rejected the suggestion that he might stand aside if polling remains stagnant, saying: 'No, I'm going to lead the party, the most united party in British politics.' He said he did not believe stepping aside would be in the party's best interests and pointed to the 2024 election, when the Liberal Democrats won more than 70 MPs, their best result for 100 years.

One Devon county council leader had accused Davey of 'sleepwalking the party into irrelevance.' Davey dismissed that criticism, saying six Liberal Democrat MPs had been elected in Devon, something he said had not happened since the 1920s, and that a party growing as quickly as his could not please everyone. Party figures said there was no immediate move to replace him, but there was restlessness and frustration that the Lib Dems are stuck in the low teens in national voting intention and are not wowing voters.

Polling evidence presented a difficult picture. More in Common found that when voters were asked which parties they had seen something from in recent months, the Liberal Democrats came bottom, and they also came bottom when asked what a party stands for, below newer parties such as Restore Britain. A word cloud about Davey as leader included 'likeable,' 'trustworthy' and 'nice bloke,' but also 'don't know,' 'boring' and 'nothing.' On individual leader popularity, Davey was narrowly ahead of Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski, though not ahead of Andy Burnham or Kemi Badenoch, depending on the poll and metric.

The party has tried to change its approach. After the 2024 campaign, when Ed Davey's water-based stunts drew attention, this conference was deliberately more serious and policy-focused. The paddle boards and wetsuits were put away, and the leadership wanted to show Davey's experience and substance while keeping his personal, empathetic style, including his role as a carer for his son. Some younger members, councillors and council leaders argued that the party needs to be bolder in its messaging, not just quieter and more serious.

Policy announcements and pitches included a temporary 10p cut to fuel duty, which Davey framed as help with the cost of living. Daisy Cooper, the Treasury spokesperson, made a pitch to small businesses. The party continued to talk about getting closer to the EU. On maternity care, Davey warned of a national safety scandal in the NHS and directed criticism at Andy Burnham and the government. Home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson called for a levy on big tech companies to fund an online police service to tackle pornographic deep fakes, child sexual abuse material and the online trafficking of drugs and weapons. Water reform was also on the agenda.

In an interview, Davey was asked whether the Liberal Democrats were now the party of low taxes. He said it looked like they were, and argued that cutting taxes is the best way to help people with the cost of living. He set out an immediate proposal for the government to cut taxes on petrol and diesel. He accepted that appealing to Conservative voters could be a byproduct, and made a direct pitch to One Nation Conservatives who feel their party has left them, saying they have a home with the Liberal Democrats. He was due to take the main stage the following day to set out his policy plan and vision for the next general election, expected to include further tax cuts.