The Liberal Democrats should abandon their reliance on stunts and present a more serious policy platform to win over voters, according to a study released at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth. The polling, conducted by the thinktank More in Common, indicates that while the party has the potential to surpass its current 72 MPs, many voters remain unsure about what the Lib Dems stand for.
A striking finding was that over 60% of voters considered party leader Ed Davey’s election stunts—including a bungee jump, water slide, and rollercoaster ride—inappropriate given the nation’s challenges. Only 21% viewed them as a good way to gain attention. Even among current Lib Dem voters, 47% worried that such antics risked making the party appear less serious.
Despite the criticism, some party figures defended the strategy. Calum Miller, the Lib Dems’ foreign affairs spokesperson, argued that eye-catching visuals helped secure media coverage, pointing to Davey’s arrival at the conference with a marching band and the sea of union jacks at the rally. “Even when a paper does negative coverage, it comes with a large picture of Ed looking happy and empathetic,” one MP privately noted.
The research, based on August and September polling, found that while the Lib Dems are stuck at around 15% support, 30% of the electorate is open to backing them. It suggested the party could win over 100 seats if an election were held now. However, only a third of voters expressed confidence in the Lib Dems as part of a coalition government.
In a bid to strengthen its policy offer, the party has proposed measures including a national emergency over asylum seeker backlogs, a windfall tax on big bank profits to cut energy bills, and a strong stance on Gaza. Deputy leader Daisy Cooper also criticised the recent display of flags on public property, saying patriotism should be expressed from one’s own home.
