𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The wheels are coming off the Liberal Democrat bandwagon as they fail to capitalise on their record seventy-two MPs gained in the 2024 general election. And as the Green Party ascends, it feels as if the Lib Dems are becoming increasingly redundant on the political stage. I mean, does anyone know what they actually stand for? I bet you a tenner that if you asked 100 members of the public what they know about the party, you would get 100 different answers.

This lack of clarity and cut-through matters in today’s political environment, where voters need to know exactly what a political party is all about. There are some vague attempts to talk about protecting the NHS, properly funding social care and highlighting the valuable work of carers, but nothing really seems to stick in the minds of the public, which is problematic if you want them to vote for you.

Then there is the spectacle of Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey popping up during Prime Minister’s Questions and usually using the opportunity for a spot of Farage or Trump bashing, which only shows what the party is against as opposed to showing voters what they are for.

Their position as the nation’s favourite protest vote for lefties is now under threat since the reinvigorated Green Party reared its ugly head. I am old enough to remember when the Greens only banged on about the environment and when Caroline Lucas, who became their first MP in the constituency of Brighton Pavilion in 2010, was arrested for protesting at a site in West Sussex where an energy firm was drilling for oil.

Nowadays, the Greens have become grotesque, having successfully exploited sectarian politics to win the recent Gorton and Denton by-election and gaining their fifth MP. Under the leadership of the pied-piper character, Zack Polanski, the Greens look to have eclipsed the Liberal Democrats as the party of left-wing protest, with public polling results backing this up.

Compared to Zack Polanski, Sir Ed comes across as sensible, rational and almost statesmanlike, which is hardly surprising as Polanski’s policies seem absolutely nuts to those of us with sane minds. Any party that advocates giving up nuclear weapons, legalising drugs like heroin or crack cocaine and holds a general anti-Israel stance should not be taken seriously. But the Lib Dems must take the Green Party as a serious threat, as they appear to be nicking a chunk of their support from those who want to upset the political status quo and who would never vote Tory or for Farage’s party.

Part of the Greens’ growth is down to their leader, who is at least clear about what his party stands for – the same cannot be said of the Liberal Democrats. And while I am in no doubt that Sir Ed is fundamentally a decent bloke, he does lack the personality that Zack Polanski is able to demonstrate, despite his party’s disturbing, divisive and damaging political posturing.

So, where does this leave the Liberal Democrats? The next battle will be on May 7, when millions of voters will go to the polls for the biggest set of elections since the last general election. Voters in Scotland and Wales will choose representatives to their national parliaments, while local council elections will take place in England.

Locally, the Liberal Democrats have always tended to do well and over the last few years have snaffled councils from the Conservatives in the south-east and south-west of England and elsewhere. They will be looking to make further significant gains despite the rise in support for the Greens and Reform UK.

The Lib Dems do have some top talent. Deputy leader Daisy Cooper is a decent parliamentary performer, and their Eastbourne MP, Josh Babarinde, loves the camera and communicates well. Where I live in Chichester, West Sussex, we have a Liberal Democrat MP who nabbed the seat from senior Conservative Gillian Keegan with a vote swing of over 30% in 2024.

Jess Brown-Fuller is proving to be an excellent constituency MP and recently succeeded in her campaign to fully reopen Chichester Crown Court, which was closed in 2018. Justice Secretary David Lammy should take note – this is how you reduce the courts’ backlog, not by scrapping trial by jury.

It is hard to escape the feeling that the Liberal Democrats are becoming redundant in the current political climate. If expectations are not met following the 7 May elections, it may be time for not only a change of direction, but a change of leader. This would at least allow Sir Ed to spend more time with his paddleboard.