Ed Davey launches local election campaign with bid to overtake Conservatives

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• Liberal Democrat leader declares two horse race against the Conservatives as he launches the party’s local election campaign today in Oxfordshire.
   
• Ed Davey says Liberal Democrats can overtake Conservatives as second largest party of local government.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has declared a two horse race between his party and the Conservatives at the launch of his party’s local election campaign today in Henley-on-Thames, in the battleground county of Oxfordshire. 

He will begin his local election tour next week, visiting every corner of the country as the party looks to make further gains and overtake the Conservatives as the second largest party in local government.

At today’s launch, Ed Davey was greeted by a cheering crowd of Lib Dem activists and campaigners and the county’s five Liberal Democrat MPs: Freddie van Mierlo, Layla Moran, Calum Miller, Olly Glover and Charlie Maynard. He was then given a lesson in hobbyhorsing by Zoe Brown of Hobbyhorse Adventures, who took him through the obstacle course and crowned him the winner of a mini competition against MPs and campaigners. 

In last year’s local elections, the Liberal Democrats gained an additional 104 councillors and took control of two councils, building on the gain of over 400 councillors in the 2023 elections. This year, the party is hoping to build on its successes in the General Election in the 20 Conservative-run councils up for election in May, including Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Devon and Gloucestershire. It comes after a recent poll showed the Liberal Democrats are now topping the polls in the South of England. 

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“In much of the country, the local elections in May are a two horse race between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. We can overtake the Conservatives as the second biggest party of local government in this election, replacing failing Conservative-run councils that take their residents for granted with Liberal Democrat ones that work hard for their local communities.

“People haven’t forgiven the Conservatives for all the damage they did, but are deeply disappointed that this Labour government has failed to deliver the change they promised. That’s why people right across the country are turning to the Liberal Democrats, because we work hard for our communities and are campaigning hard to fix the NHS and care, deliver better community policing and tackle the sewage scandal.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

YouGov poll can be found here.