On this warm Monday afternoon, as the UK elections reach their finale, Roz Savage, the South Cotswolds candidate for the Liberal Democrats, sits comfortably by a lakeside in the Gloucestershire countryside, twenty minutes from Swindon, feet swinging over the water.
Expectingly, she awaits the arrival of party leader Ed Davey, aptly dressed in a wetsuit rather than the expected formal attire. Davey, a knight of the realm and Oxford graduate, has seized the spotlight in the election, delighting in stunts whilst his Labour and Tory counterparts frequent unassuming warehouses. His daring exploits have punctured through the media haze and are propelling the Lib Dems ever closer to regaining their position as the third-largest party in parliament. The party’s helpful current in opinion polls indicates they might potentially secure 60 to 70 parliamentary seats compared to their 11-seat win in 2019.
Many prospective seats are found in traditional Tory territories, particularly in the prosperous home counties and the ‘west country’, locations where the Lib Dems have demonstrated a capacity to outperform the Tories in local and byelections.
For Tories on the defensive, the onslaught of the Lib Dems forms one facet of a three-pronged assault on its vote compensation, with urban-oriented Labour advancements and the diversion of support to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK creating a challenging landscape.
As all-around anticipation builds up, Savage begins to discuss perceived South Cotswolds’ issues – comprised of regions across Gloucestershire and Wiltshire preoccupied by housing for young couples and the NHS for mature voters – when Davey and company finally show.
The party’s vibrant battle bus, named Yellowhammer One, rolls into the lakeside resort parking area, heralding the arrival of eager party representatives, chaperoned by their jovial leader who exchanges his formal wear at the waterside.
“One more day, one more wetsuit,” Savage teasingly welcomes Davey, a veteran in watersports herself as the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. This renowned ocean-rower turned marine conservation advocate, is locked in a tight race in South Cotswolds against existing Tory, James Gray.
“She inquires of Davey, “Did you find your bungee jump enjoyable?”. His leap from a crane earlier that day in Eastbourne, Sussex had been daring and he responds with a silent raise of his eyebrows.
“Can you explain what is happening?” he whispers, as a watersports staffer secures the two inflatable circles carrying him and Savage to a quick racing boat. Zooming across the lake, they’re trailing in the boat’s wake, tossed about like mere playthings. The screams of Savage echo across the Cotswolds.
“We’ve found that our daring antics spark a greater discussion about Lib Dem policies than our press conferences ever did. After I tumbled from my paddleboard at Lake Windermere during the campaign and then addressed the issue of sewage, there was considerable talk about our stance on the sewage crisis and the scandal concerning river pollution,” he discloses.
“While descending a water slide in Somerset amidst a crowd of children during the school holidays, we broached the topic of mental health. As I was sliding down, the BBC discussing our mental health plan on air, which involves taxing social media magnates more heavily to fund a mental healthcare provider in every school.”
Davey, unlike Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and to a lesser extent, Labour’s Keir Starmer, who both struggle talking about personal life, has given numerous interviews, emotionally conveying his caring role. His father passed away when he was 4 years old. A decade later, when his mother was battling terminal cancer, he helped in her nursing. As a schoolboy, Davey used to administer pain relief injections to her. Today, together with wife Emily Gasson, he cares for their son John, who has severe physical and learning disabilities. Does it come easy to him to speak openly about such experiences?
“No, it doesn’t.” he quickly responds. “Until I assumed the party leadership, I seldom discussed my caregiver duties. However, journalists are bound to ask rational questions. One then has to make the choice: What personal details are they comfortable talking about, and what are off-limits.”
Including his experience of being a caregiver in his life helped shape the Lib Dem’s NHS policy. “It is drawn from my own life. I understand it intimately”, he affirms.
Aside from the Scottish National Party, the only remaining anti-Brexit body in Westminster politics is the Liberal Democrats. Davey exercises prudence regarding this matter so as not to alarm Conservative supporters. However, he asserts that the UK should start reestablishing a relationship with the European Union. This can begin with a trade agreement that falls just below the full integration into the single market.
Davey regards such move as an effective initial measure, harking back to his successful collaborations with former Irish ministers like Pat Rabbitte during their shared governmental tenure.
There’s speculations that in the event of a disastrous Conservative performance come Thursday, the Lib Dems may attempt to dispute their status as the second major bloc after Labour. Though it appears improbable, such a feat would be Davey’s most spectacular achievement yet.