Sir Ed Davey has launched a furious attack on “unpatriotic” Nigel Farage for once saying he “admires” Vladimir Putin, claiming the Reform leader would “turn our great country into little more than a Donald Trump tribute act”.
In a speech at his party’s spring conference, the Liberal Democrat leader accused Donald Trump of “betraying Ukraine” and “selling out… the security of Europe and the security of our United Kingdom”.
He framed his party as the only one “speaking up in defiance” of the US president, and called on the government not to “appease” him.
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The Lib Dem leader was speaking just weeks before the local elections on 1 May, when he is hoping to make further gains from the Conservative Party and stop Reform UK from making up any ground.
‘Unforgivable’ of Trump to ‘betray Ukraine’
In his lengthy speech to the party faithful, Sir Ed said this is “a time of great peril for our continent, and for our country”.
“Because Donald Trump is not only betraying Ukraine,” he said. “It’s not only their sovereignty he’s selling out. It’s our security. The security of Europe and the security of our United Kingdom. And that is unforgivable.”
He said Putin has “fooled Donald Trump into thinking that his ambitions do not extend beyond parts of Ukraine”, and pointed to Russia’s activities in countries such as Georgia, Moldova and Romania, accusing Russia of “undermining their democracies and seeking to extend his grip further into Europe”.
He expressed pride in the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion, and said he was “proud that the prime minister brought Europe and Canada together here in Britain to chart a way forward, the day after those appalling scenes of Trump and Vance ambushing President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office”.
Farage ‘out of touch with British values’
Sir Ed said one has to “stand up” to people like Mr Trump and Mr Putin, who are “offend[ing] fundamental British values of decency, fair play, respect for national sovereignty and the rule of law”.
But he said there is “one lone holdout” who “simply doesn’t seem to get it” – and that is Nigel Farage, who “thinks Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are great” in a “celebrity crush kind of way”.
Referencing Mr Farage’s comments from over a decade ago that Putin is the leader he most admires, Sir Ed said: “How despicable. How completely out-of-touch with British values. With human values. How unpatriotic. How deeply un-British.
“And this from a man who thinks he can be our prime minister. Not on our watch.”
He went on to say that the Reform UK leader has “nothing to say” about the challenges facing the health service, noting that he has “never uttered the word ‘care’ once in parliament”.
He accused the insurgent right-wing party of peddling “superficial, simplistic, snake-oil solutions”, and choosing to “exploit” the “struggles and anxieties” of the British people “for their own selfish ends”.
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Badenoch has a ‘sneering attitude’
Sir Ed also hit out at the Conservative Party for “chasing Reform’s tail”.
He pointed to Kemi Badenoch recently saying that a “typical Liberal Democrat will be somebody who is good at fixing their church roof and people in the community like them”.
“I think she meant it as an insult. But I’ll happily wear it as a badge of honour,” he said. “Because she’s right. Liberal Democrats fix things.”
He went on to say that she has “good reason” not to like his party, noting that they took 60 seats off the Tories at the general election.
“But what I’m talking about is the sneering attitude of the leader of the Conservatives, the sneering attitude that says fixing church roofs is somehow beneath her. Even beneath politics altogether.
“That what happens in our communities is trivial and insignificant compared to debating the true meaning of conservatism on Twitter.”
Sir Ed added that the Tories have “abandoned our communities” and public services, which is “why so many lifelong Conservative voters have turned to the Liberal Democrats”.
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‘Impose tariffs on Musk’s Tesla cars’
The Lib Dem leader also had a few notes for the Labour government, calling on ministers to impose import tariffs on Tesla cars in retaliation for any tariffs imposed on the UK by the Trump administration, in which Tesla boss Elon Musk is a key player.
Sir Ed criticised the government for not ruling out changing or scrapping the tax on tech giants’ UK profits in order to avoid tariffs, saying: “Appeasement never works with bullies, and it doesn’t work with Trump – as his tariffs on British steel already show.”
He also called on the government to go further in its efforts to support Ukraine, arguing that frozen Russian assets should be given in funding, and saying he wants to join a new European Rearmament Bank.
On economic growth, Sir Ed called for “a new deal with the EU, with a Customs Union at its heart – putting us on a path back to the single market”.
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‘This is a battle for the future’
In closing, Sir Ed said his party’s “liberal belief in internationalism […] offers the solution” to the problems facing the UK, “with Trump in the White House and Farage leading a Trump tribute act”.
“Our trademark community politics is the only way to defeat their cynical populism. The threat they pose is grave. The challenge before us is great.
“This is a battle of competing values. A battle of competing visions. A battle for the future. We didn’t choose this fight. But friends, I know you are up for it. I know together we can win it.”
