Overview
- At the Brighton conference on Tuesday, Ed Davey defended his record as several local leaders and MPs publicly questioned whether he can lift the party’s national profile.
- Research from More in Common and fresh YouGov polling show a major visibility problem, with more than half of people saying they do not know what the Lib Dems stand for and little growth in support since 2024.
- Delegates made blocking Reform UK a central theme, with Davey warning against a right‑wing pact and positioning the party as a firewall to keep Nigel Farage out of power.
- Members are split over how to use potential kingmaker power in a likely hung parliament, debating three identifiable manifesto ‘red lines’, confidence‑and‑supply deals, or a cautious approach to any formal coalition to avoid repeating the 2010–15 backlash.
- The dispute matters for voters: the party risks alienating recent Conservative converts if it is seen as a Labour enabler, and conference decisions on messaging and negotiable policies will shape whether the Lib Dems can convert local gains into broader, lasting support.