Ed Davey claims he is 'about winning' during launch of Liberal Democrats' local election campaign

Standing in the garden of a supporter’s house, where he participated in a Great British Bake Off-style challenge, in which he made a Victoria sponge cake and Eton Mess, the Kingston and Surbiton MP hit back at suggestions a succession of PR stunts makes the Lib Dem's look unserious.

Earlier this month, during the Lib Dems' Spring Conference in York, Sir Ed's speech focused on the threat from Russia and Iran, as well as the United States under President Donald Trump and Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

However, his address on stage was followed by a dance with supporters, which went viral and attracted a lot of criticism.

Although the Lib Dems had their best result in a century at the 2024 General Election, when they won 72 seats, they are currently languishing between 9 and 14 per cent in the polls.

Speaking with the People's Channel, Sir Ed brushed the doubters aside.

He said: “Last May in the local elections, we beat the Conservatives and Labour for the first time ever. And if you look at the council by elections across the whole country last year, which party won the most? It was the Liberal Democrats. We were the only party to beat Reform. And in fact, we had more council by election victories than Labour, Conservatives and Green put together. So I'm about winning. I think we really have to show that we're winning and we are.”

On the US President's military intervention in Iran, Sir Ed said: "(We) have been the party opposing Donald Trump. And we've opposed this illegal war.”

And Sir Ed had a go at “parties in Parliament who've backed Donald Trump's illegal war,", saying Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Mr Farage have acted as a "cheerleader" for the Republican.

The Lib Dems believe their strident opposition to Mr Trump will bring voters their way come the local elections on May 7.

Sir Ed pointed out the situation in the Middle East “is putting up people's bills, their petrol prices at the pumps, their energy bills".

And Sir Ed urged Sir Keir Starmer's administration to consider support for all households if the conflict continues.

He said: “We certainly think there should be extra support for people who are suffering the most, who really can't afford it. But there's lots of ordinary families out there who are on low middle incomes, for whom a £500 rise in energy bills on top of rising mortgage costs, on top of the cost of living crisis already, on top of the petrol price rises, are going to really struggle and that will hit our economy. So we've got to make sure that we are thinking about lots of people who are suffering.”

Despite Sir Ed saying he is “not convinced that (Ed) Miliband has got everything right”, he lashed out at Tories' calls to increase oil and gas production in the North Sea:

He said: “They're trying to kid people that this will reduce petrol prices and oil prices. It won't. And these are the same people who backed Donald Trump. Who is the cause of these price rises. So I'm not going to take a lesson from the Conservatives who messed up so badly on energy policy.”

On yesterday’s horrific attack on Jewish volunteer ambulances in the Golders Green area of north London, Sir Ed said: “Well, I was horrified. This terrorist attack really will undermine people's confidence and we need to stand by the Jewish community in North London, across the country. We've seen some horrific events that we would think of what happened in the synagogue in Manchester.”

He warned: “We need to be very strong against any Iranian operatives here. It's the Liberal Democrats who've championed the idea of proscribing the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, here in the UK. We said that to the last Conservative government. They didn't listen. We've said it to Labour. They didn't listen. I hope they will now listen”.

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