Lib Dems sleepwalking to irrelevance under Davey, says council leader

Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil warned that the Liberal Democrats are “sleepwalking into irrelevance,” questioning whether Sir Ed Davey is the right person to lead the party. Speaking to the BBC, Brazil said the party lacks ambition and fails to say things people can relate to, adding that “all the evidence is no” when asked if he wished Davey were the leader. He noted that the Lib Dems have allowed other parties to surge ahead and that a change is needed if the party is to move to the next level, emphasizing a missed opportunity to occupy the political centre.

Brazil’s criticism comes amid a mixed picture for the party. Under Davey’s leadership the Lib Dems achieved a record 72 MPs in the 2024 general election and enjoyed a string of strong local‑election results, which the party’s spokesperson described as an “incredibly strong position.” Yet national opinion polls have slipped the party to fourth or fifth place behind the Greens and Reform UK, and internal voices, including South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage, have echoed Brazil’s concerns, urging a return to an “insurgent spirit” rather than remaining “polite custodians” of a system that leaves voters feeling powerless.

Davey responded to Brazil’s remarks at the party’s Brighton conference, acknowledging the frustration of MPs who struggle to effect “real change” while defending the party’s gains in council elections and citing support from former coalition colleague Sir Vince Cable, who called him the most successful leader in the party’s history. Pollster Luke Tryl and analysts from More in Common warned that the Lib Dems still lack a compelling national message and risk being squeezed between the Conservatives and Labour, though they see potential for gains in traditional Tory heartlands that could position the party for a deputy‑prime‑minister role in a Labour‑led government.

⚡ Effects Interpreter