Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Peter Walker Senior political correspondent

Lib Dems aiming to go big as they spot electoral opportunity

Ed Davey about to hit the ball in front of cricket stumps on sunny, sandy beach
Ed Davey on the beach in Bournemouth before the Lib Dem conference. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

With memories still fresh of 2019, when pre-election predictions of 200-plus seats were followed by a haul of precisely 11, the first rule of Liberal Democrat conference is that you never talk about numbers. Nonetheless, one thing is abundantly clear: this is a party thinking big.

That might sound anomalous when we are perhaps three years from an election and the Lib Dems already have 72 MPs, the biggest contingent in a century. But in a political era almost unparalleled in flux, there is an argument they are responding to the chaos as effectively as anyone.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.