This article originally appeared in our Elevenses newsletter.
No sooner had the Liberal Democrats pledged closer realignment with the European Union in their manifesto on Monday than Ed Davey was spotted in a fairground on the teacups fielding questions from journalists whilst spinning at full tilt. Such is the bizarre nature of the party’s General Election campaigning that footage of the former energy secretary gripping the frame of an oversized rotating crockery cup felt timid, even if he did manage to skillfully time key policy announcements to coincide with violent swings of the cup so people knew they were serious about the “cost of liviiiiiiing”.
So far in the campaign, we have seen Davey on, and then off, a paddle board, hurtling down a slip ‘n’ slide and banging an exercise ball with pensioners to ‘We Will Rock You’. There has also been a giant Jenga set and pictures of him racing downhill on a bike towards a crowd of 30 or so activists in Wales, legs akimbo. After taking a spin in the teacups at Thorpe Park Davey jumped on a rollercoaster and then posed for photos on a giant swing to mark the party’s manifesto launch, suggesting big ‘swings’ are on the cards in Blue Wall seats such as Esher and Walton and Godalming and Ash, both just down the road from the Surrey-based theme park.
To the casual observer, it might look as though the Lib Dem leader has taken leave of his senses since the General Election was called in May, but there is method to his madness. The election has been largely framed as a battle between Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, which puts air time for anyone on the outside at a premium. Rather than wait for broadcasters to fulfil their obligations with sparse pieces of manifesto coverage, the Lib Dems have decided to make a splash, literally, and the channels have been lapping it up. The stunts have also served as a convenient distraction from the Horizon scandal, which still poses the biggest threat to Davey’s reputation.
They also appeal to a segment of the electorate fed up of British politics being totally toxic. Until now, large parts of the Lib Dem campaign have been, if not completely anti-politics, then somewhat apolitical. Sure, they have highlighted a few key topics, such as social care and capital gains tax, both part of this week’s manifesto launch, but have avoided getting into the national slanging match, which will help traditional Tory voters hold their nose and vote Liberal in key Blue Wall areas on July 4th.
This brings the crux of the campaign into focus. The party is essentially exploiting the First-Past-the-Past electoral system it wants to get rid of. Unlike Reform UK, which will be lucky to bag more than five seats at the General Election despite a surge in popularity, the Lib Dems seem happy to receive fewer votes overall if the votes they receive are in the marginal seats they are fighting. It could prove to be a pretty influential strategy if the general election plays out in the way we think it will, and cause for celebration for the only party leader who looks to be enjoying all this.
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