Sir Ed Davey has called for a new written constitution for Britain to make it “resistant to authoritarian creeps like Donald Trump”. The Liberal Democrat leader, speaking at the party’s spring conference in York, urged a “new Magna Carta” to enshrine commitments to human rights, the NHS, and freedom of expression in law.
Davey criticised Reform UK and its leader Nigel Farage, warning that current political pressures demand a renewed national settlement. “The rule of law, with the courts always independent of political interference. A commitment to universal human rights that cannot be ripped up at the whim of a populist like Farage,” he said.
The Lib Dem leader also argued that Britain should decouple its nuclear deterrent from US maintenance, stating that President Trump has proven the US is no longer a dependable ally. “Britain’s nuclear deterrent must be genuinely, verifiably ours – not dependent on Trump or whoever his successor may be,” Davey said.
Davey reiterated his party’s support for proportional representation and condemned Labour’s plans to limit jury trials. He called for a free press, freedom of expression, and a commitment to universal healthcare, accusing Farage of wanting to scrap the NHS.
