Sir Ed Davey has accused the Conservative Party of straying from its core values as he officially launched the Liberal Democrats’ local election campaign in Oxfordshire.
The Lib Dem leader, known for his theatrical campaign stunts, took an unconventional approach to the launch, riding a hobby horse over a series of jumps at a golf club near Henley before dramatically smashing through a blue fence—a symbolic gesture representing his party’s ambition to dismantle Tory dominance in local government.
Declaring the local elections a “two-horse race”, Sir Ed positioned the Liberal Democrats as the true voice of Middle England, appealing to both disenchanted Conservative and Labour voters.
‘The conservatives have left their own voters’
Addressing reporters, Sir Ed denied that the Liberal Democrats were trying to position themselves as “soft Tories,” insisting that his party was staying true to its liberal values, while it was the Conservative Party that had drifted away from its traditional principles.
“We’re true to our values, it’s the Conservatives who are moving away from theirs.”
Sir Ed highlighted growing discontent among traditional Tory supporters, suggesting that many lifelong Conservative voters now feel abandoned by their party.
“On the doorstep, we’re getting lots of people who used to vote Conservative and people who used to vote Labour coming to us, so I think it’s a broad appeal.”
He continued:
“There’s no doubt that a lot of lifelong Conservatives feel the Conservative Party has left them. The Conservative Party’s chasing after Reform’s tail, going to the right, and doesn’t seem to value the community in the way that they used to.”
“I think they’ve sort of lost touch.”
Lib dems eye second place in local government
Sir Ed’s comments come as the Liberal Democrats attempt to capitalise on discontent with both major parties, aiming to become the second-largest force in local government.
To achieve this, the Lib Dems will need to gain traction in key battlegrounds, including the Home Counties, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. The party saw five MPs elected in Oxfordshire in last year’s general election, marking its best result in the county for decades.
Sir Ed also expressed confidence that the Lib Dems could make significant gains in the upcoming Hull and East Yorkshire mayoral election, reinforcing his party’s broad electoral appeal.
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Tory and reform launches set the stage for may 1st
The Lib Dem campaign launch follows similar events from the Conservatives and Reform UK, as all parties gear up for local elections on May 1st.
At the Conservative launch, Kemi Badenoch pledged to deliver “lower taxes and better services”, but admitted that the party faced an “extremely difficult” electoral challenge. The Tories have been struggling in the polls, with growing dissatisfaction among their core voter base.
Meanwhile, at Reform UK’s launch on Friday, Nigel Farage promised to eliminate wasteful local spending, positioning his party as a disruptive force aiming to gain a foothold in local government before setting its sights on future parliamentary victories.
A high-stakes election for the lib dems
The upcoming local elections represent a crucial opportunity for the Liberal Democrats to consolidate their recent electoral gains and further position themselves as the alternative to both the Conservatives and Labour.
By tapping into voter dissatisfaction with Rishi Sunak’s government and lingering mistrust of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, Sir Ed Davey hopes to expand the party’s influence in local councils and beyond.
As the campaign trail heats up, all eyes will be on whether the Lib Dems’ strategy—and Sir Ed’s hobby horse theatrics—will translate into tangible electoral success on May 1st.
