In his closing speech to delegates on Tuesday at the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference in Bournemouth, leader Sir Ed Davey quoted Frank Sinatra. Reeling off the party’s historic victories in recent elections, including 72 MPs at the general election in 2024, he told activists, “the best is yet to come,” adding, “my ambition for our party, our values, our ideas, has no ceiling. And our ambition for our country has no ceiling either.”
The cheery optimism on the final day of the conference ran throughout corridors, fringe meetings, and receptions of the Bournemouth International Centre this week. Even though the vibes were positive, MPs and activists did not shy away from the many challenges facing the party, and as they see it, the country.
At times, Nigel Farage and Reform UK dominated the discussion. In many ways, this was ironic given that the Lib Dems are fighting on completely different terrain, both ideologically and territorially. However, the shared feeling among party delegates at all levels was of a “moral” – the word used by the leader in both his curtain-raising Q&A and closing speech – duty to take on Reform head-on.
This mission was accompanied by an impressive awareness that the party’s messaging needs to evolve. “We as Liberal Democrats are really good at the thinking,” said Lisa Smart MP from the main stage. “We’re less good at connecting with people at that emotional level.” This sentiment, expressed by others, was often accompanied by “boldness.” Lib Dem staples, such as “common sense,” “sustainability,” and of course, “community,” were ever-present, particularly the latter – the moderator of a panel discussion on protecting the oceans wryly observed that for once, participants wouldn’t be discussing community.
The other side of the community coin is the party’s proficiency in local campaigning. The Lib Dems are feared and respected in equal measure for their diligent approach to elections. Activists at a Q&A with Professor John Curtice had an above-average tolerance for absorbing and analysing sobering data. A policy discussion on air quality featured a pollster who mapped out the no-go areas for messaging on this topic. Electoral strategy is native to every party conference, but in Bournemouth it felt even more fundamental.
The leader’s well-known fondness for stunts endures. Davey led a marching band through Bournemouth on the opening day. But there is a sense that these gestures are giving way to more daring interventions through traditional channels. In other words, the emotional messaging has already begun. Davey made headlines, but not front pages, with his leader’s speech warning about the prospect of US-style school shootings. “Imagine, if you can bear it, living in the Trump-inspired country Farage wants us to become.”
Beyond the set pieces, the question of direction loomed large. With the Conservatives and Labour both seemingly in decline, and a solid caucus of Lib Dem MPs now stretching across a belt from Surrey to St Ives, there is a clear platform to build on. But in which direction? Collect another twenty seats from the Conservatives in affluent, suburban and rural constituencies? Or attempt something more ambitious? The sense in Bournemouth was of a party still weighing those choices.
