Lib Dem deputy leader backs Ed Davey to lead Lib Dems into next general election
Yesterday, a Lib Dem council leader said the party was “sleepwalking into irrelevance” under Davey
The deputy leader of the Lib Dems, Daisy Cooper, has backed Ed Davey as leader and said he is the right person to lead the party into the next general election.
Speaking to Channel 4 News from the Lib Dems’ annual autumn conference in Bournemouth, Cooper “fundamentally disagreed” with criticisms of his leadership.
Ayshah Tull, a Channel 4 News correspondent read out a quote from Julian Brazil, the Lib Dem leader of Devon County Council, who said the party is “sleepwalking into irrelevance” under Davey.
Brazil told the BBC that the party was “lacking ambition” and “not saying the things that people can relate to”.
Tull said: “That’s got to hurt hasn’t it?”.
Cooper responded: “No, I just disagree fundamentally. Look, Ed is an economist, he’s a former climate minister and he’s a carer.”
She added: “I can’t think of another person in Parliament who has the same experience to deliver for people, planet and prosperity. He’s the right leader for us.”
Tull then said that a Lib Dem supporter had told Channel 4 News’ Paul McNamara that Cooper could be the right person to replace Davey.
Cooper’s response was “That’s very sweet, but there’s no vacancy”, and again backed Davey, saying “Ed is the right person to take us into the next general election”.
The Channel 4 News reporter then put it to Cooper that there had been “disquiet” among Lib Dem ranks, as Labour, the Conservatives and Reform have all been “having their difficulties over the year and you haven’t been able to capitalise”.
Cooper denied that this was a “fair assessment”, and said that the Lib Dems had got the best general election result ever in the party’s history at the 2024 election, electing 72 MPs.
The party now has 71 MPs following the suspension of Cameron Thomas MP after he was arrested during a police investigation.
Cooper added: “Now we are half way through the Parliament we are firmly fixing our eyes on the next general election, winning more seats so we can help build a liberal country and also stop Farage and Badenoch getting the keys to number 10.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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