Ed Davey rejects claims party is ‘sleepwalking into irrelevance’ under his leadership – UK politics live
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has rejected accusations that his party is becoming irrelevant under his leadership. He cited recent electoral successes, including a record number of MPs and increased council control, as evidence of the party's growth. Davey specifically addressed criticism from Julian Brazil, highlighting the party's historical gains in Devon.
- ▪Ed Davey has been the leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020, making him the longest-serving leader of a national UK party.
- ▪Julian Brazil, the leader of Devon county council, criticized the party for 'sleepwalking into irrelevance' under Davey's leadership.
- ▪Davey defended his record by noting that the Lib Dems have achieved a record number of MPs and are running more councils than the Conservatives.
- ▪The Liberal Democrat conference is currently taking place in Brighton, where Davey is addressing internal party complaints.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/sep/21/ed-davey-liberal-democrats-party-conference-brighton-labour-conservatives-andy-burnham-kemi-badenoch-nigel-farage-reform-uk-politics-latest-news |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:33:04 GMT |
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10m ago04.33 EDTEd Davey rejects claims party is 'sleepwalking into irrelevance' under his leadershipGood morning. Ed Davey became Lib Dem leader in 2020, which means he is technically the longest-serving leader of a national party in the UK. (“Technically” because, while Nigel Farage only became leader of Reform UK in his current incumbency in 2024, he had led it before when it was called the Brexit party and, if you include Ukip, he has been leader of the anti-migrant, anti-EU right in British politics for more than 20 years.) After six years in charge, it is inevitable that some Lib Dems are starting to complain and, with the Lib Dem conference taking place in Brighton, Davey has been giving interviews this morning where he has had to respond to complaints from his critics.The most…
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