In the polarised climate of British politics, irritation with Liberal Democrats is one of the few things that Labour and Tory MPs have in common. Parliament’s two biggest parties see each other as arch enemies – status that affords some mutual respect. The Lib Dems are treated more like pests, ideological shapeshifters, wheedling their way into voters’ affections, burrowing into local politics. If allowed to nest in a constituency, they are notoriously hard to shift.
Kemi Badenoch has a severe infestation in her back yard. Of the 72 seats currently held by Ed Davey’s party, 60 were taken from Conservatives. The former seats of three Tory prime ministers – David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson – are now represented by Lib Dem MPs. That pattern was repeated in this year’s local elections, when the Lib Dems gained 163 seats almost entirely at the Tories’ expense.
