Sir Ed Davey said the Liberal Democrats are “a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform” as the party’s conference began in Brighton.
The Lib Dem leader sought to strike a more combative stance as he faced down criticism from his own MPs that the party was struggling for relevance and being too polite about problems.
On the first day of the autumn conference, Sir Ed warned an “unholy alliance” between Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Farage could turn the UK into a “Trump satellite state”.
Addressing speculation about a possible snap election, he said the party was ready to fight and would build its so-called orange wall even higher by winning more than its 2024 record of 72 MPs.
Sir Ed’s attention-grabbing stunts helped raise the party’s profile ahead of the last election, but recent polling showed 43% of respondents were unclear what the Liberal Democrats stand for, with just over half describing them as “weak”.
South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage criticised Sir Ed’s leadership ahead of conference, urging the party to rediscover its “insurgent spirit” rather than being the “polite custodians of a system that leaves people feeling powerless”.
Speaking on the pebbles of Brighton Beach, Sir Ed dismissed those concerns and told reporters the Liberal Democrats would fight to stop a Reform government.
“One of the things that makes us unique is that we are a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform,” he said.
“Many of the seats he needs to get himself into No 10 are seats that we will defend and indeed win – and we are also able to take seats off the Conservatives, because I really fear that Kemi Badenoch will give the keys to No 10 to Nigel Farage, so we have got to stop the Conservatives as well.
“We have got an historic opportunity to win many more seats and a moral responsibility to stop Reform.”
He added a manifesto working group had already been set up in case of an early election “so we’ll be ready if it comes early, but, you know, it still could be up to three years away”.
Sir Ed insisted his party has a “distinctive position” in British politics, and will use the four-day conference to position it to take on the challenge from Reform as well as its typical rivals the Conservatives, talking up their focus on the NHS and goal of re-joining the EU single market and customs union.
The Lib Dem leader highlighted how six former Conservative cabinet ministers were among 25 Tories to have defected to Reform in the last two years, claiming they were now competing with each other to see who can divide the country more, rather than looking to fix the country’s problems.
“An unholy alliance between Farage and Badenoch is the only way either can get into power,” he said.
“Together, they want to turn Britain into a Trump satellite state which would trash our NHS, turn our communities against each other, cause untold damage to our environment, and trample over traditional British values of fairness, tolerance, and decency.
“A bigger Orange Wall is the only thing that can stand between Britain and this dangerous experiment, and we will not let them pass.”
Davey also attacked the Labour government as having no plan for growth, failing to support families struggling with the cost of living and taxing small businesses “to the brink”.
Ahead of a speech to party members, Davey urged Liberal Democrats not to look away from injustice or “human dignity under attack” but to fight back.