Key facts
- Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on his party to prevent a Reform UK-led government.
- Davey described Reform UK's funding as coming from "two crypto billionaires" and its platform as an "arsenal of hate and lies".
- He drew parallels between his early activism against Barclays' investments in apartheid-era South Africa and the current fight against "nasty populism".
- Davey referenced recent online abuse targeting the RNLI amid anti-migrant protests.
- Lib Dem health spokesperson Helen Morgan proposed a £600m plan for maternity care.
- Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson proposed a guarantee of 100 hours of work experience for students.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called on his party to prevent a Reform UK-led government, framing it as a "moral responsibility" and a fight against "nasty populism". Speaking at the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in Brighton, Davey criticized Reform UK's funding, which he stated came from "two crypto billionaires", and described its platform as an "arsenal of hate and lies". He drew parallels between his early activism against Barclays' investments in apartheid-era South Africa and the current need to combat racism and division.
Davey also took aim at Elon Musk, accusing the world's richest man of "funding racism around the world". He referenced recent online abuse targeting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution amid anti-migrant protests as an example of the divisive tactics employed by the far-right.
The party is also preparing a new manifesto for a potential snap election. Lib Dem health spokesperson Helen Morgan outlined a £600m plan to improve maternity care, which the party claims would be offset by reduced compensation payouts for negligence. Additionally, education spokesperson Munira Wilson proposed a guarantee of 100 hours of work experience for students aged 16 to 18 to address the crisis of young people not in education, employment, or training.