Sir Ed Davey has left the door open to the Liberal Democrats entering a coalition with Labour at the next general election.
The Lib Dem leader failed to rule out a coalition arrangement with his Labour counterpart Sir Keir Starmer when repeatedly challenged about the idea during an appearance on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday.
Labour has been ahead in the national opinion polls for more than a year although there is no guarantee this will translate into votes and a large enough swing to secure a majority of seats in the Commons.
We have a positive Liberal Democrat agenda and that’s what we’ll be standing on. When I go round the country and talk to voters, they feel the Conservatives have taken them for granted— Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey
Sir Ed, asked if he would consider entering a coalition if Labour fell short of achieving an outright majority next year, said: “My job, as I’ve said throughout my leadership, is to beat Conservative MPs.
“We have a positive Liberal Democrat agenda and that’s what we’ll be standing on. When I go round the country and talk to voters, they feel the Conservatives have taken them for granted.
“Liberal Democrats are not going to make that mistake, we are going to work really hard to make sure we get as many Liberal Democrat MPs back after the next election and beat as many Conservative MPs as possible. I could not have been clearer.”
Told he had not been clear in answering whether he would form a coalition with Labour, Sir Ed replied: “The Liberal Democrats’ job is to beat Conservatives at the next election.
In many ways your question is taking voters for granted and I’m not going to do that. I want to make sure that we earn people’s votes over the weeks and months ahead so at the next general election we can get rid of this shocking Government— Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey
“There are one or two seats where we are up against Labour, like Sheffield Hallam, but the vast majority of seats that we can win at the next election in my judgment are against the Conservatives and I want to focus relentlessly on that.”
Pressed further, Sir Ed repeated he wanted to defeat Conservative MPs and pursue his party’s policies in Parliament.
When challenged again, Sir Ed said: “In many ways your question is taking voters for granted and I’m not going to do that.
“I want to make sure that we earn people’s votes over the weeks and months ahead so at the next general election we can get rid of this shocking Government, who are failing our country and are just so out of touch with people who can’t afford food bills, can’t afford their energy bills and are desperately trying to get that hospital treatment that they need.”
