Sir Ed Davey opened the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton with a defiant broadside against Reform UK and Elon Musk, vowing that his party would not be worn down by what he called the “nasty populism” sweeping through parts of British and international politics.
The Lib Dem leader used his first-day keynote to frame the coming electoral contest as a battle for the soul of the country, telling activists they must resist the belief that division and dishonesty would eventually prevail.
“The anger and the hatred and the lies will grind us down until eventually we just give up,” he said, characterising the strategy of Nigel Farage’s party. But he insisted the Lib Dems would not surrender.
A party that won’t be ground down
Davey’s speech was part rallying cry, part warning. He accused Reform of having no interest in the national interest, claiming instead that its leaders “care about their own bank balance” and were bankrolled by “two crypto billionaires” who had handed the party £72 million.
“They fight because two crypto billionaires gave them 72 million quid,” he said, in a direct reference to the financial firepower behind Reform’s election machine.
He contrasted that with the speeches that had preceded his own, which he said demonstrated “why we care and why we fight”. Reform, he argued, offered only anger and grievance, while the Liberal Democrats offered solutions.
Davey also used the moment to address lingering discontent within his own ranks. Arriving in Brighton with some Lib Dem MPs privately voicing frustration over his leadership, he sought to project unity and purpose, reminding delegates of his own political awakening as a student activist.
From Barclays boycott to Brighton
In a personal section of the speech, Davey recalled his early political life, when he successfully campaigned as a student for his university college to boycott Barclays over its investments in apartheid-era South Africa.
He described the “visceral shock” and “overwhelming anger” he felt at seeing human beings treated with total contempt, and drew a direct line from that experience to the present day.
“Today we are back,” he said. “Fighting again the fight that fired me up at university. The fight to end injustices. In our country and around the world.”
He went on to name far-right figures and movements, including Trump, Le Pen and the AfD, and accused Musk of having “learned racism in apartheid South Africa” only to fund racism abroad.
The leader also voiced support for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, after volunteers at the coastal rescue charity were targeted online during anti-migrant protests. He said Reform knew they did not speak for the “real United Kingdom”, but warned that Farage was counting on the public growing “tired, depressed, fed up” with seeing figures like Zia Yusuf on BBC Question Time week after week.
Davey said he hoped Reform was watching the conference and would see a party that “won’t be ground down. That won’t be deterred. That won’t give up the fight.”
New policy pledges on maternity and youth opportunities
Beyond the political rhetoric, the first day of conference also brought fresh policy announcements aimed at delivering tangible change.
The party’s health spokesperson, Helen Morgan, unveiled a £600 million plan to improve maternity care, including a guarantee of one-to-one midwifery for every woman in labour, backed by round-the-clock access to a senior consultant.
The Liberal Democrats argue the investment would pay for itself by reducing the amount the NHS spends on maternity negligence claims, which totalled £1.3 billion in 2024-25.
In a separate announcement, education spokesperson Munira Wilson said the party would introduce a guarantee of 100 hours of work experience for every student from GCSE age to 18. The policy is designed to tackle the growing crisis of young people not in education, employment or training.
Why it Matters
Davey’s speech signals a deliberate strategy to position the Liberal Democrats as the most vocal parliamentary opponent of Reform UK’s brand of right-wing populism. With a snap election widely anticipated, the party is betting that a combination of ethical clarity and targeted policy can break through a polarised political landscape. By taking the fight directly to Farage and Musk, Davey is trying to reclaim the centre ground – and remind voters that his party still has a reason to exist beyond the margins of a two-horse race. The coming months will determine whether that message lands in the places that matter most.
