Ed Davey speech: Time to tear down the Blue Wall and end the Conservative soap opera 

Embargoed until 22.30 Monday 25th September

Ed Davey will today (Tuesday 26 September) give his first Autumn Conference speech since becoming Liberal Democratleader, firing the starting gun for the party's campaign at the next General Election.

Ed Davey will put health and care at the heart of his speech, highlighting how the Liberal Democrats have led the way in proposing solutions to tackle the crises facing the NHS, on GPs, ambulances and dentists.  He will accuse the Conservatives of breaking promise after promise on the NHS, from their failure to recruit more GPs to their pledge to build 40 new hospitals, adding that there should be a warning on the ballot paper that “voting Conservative is bad for your health.”

He will emphasise that getting the millions of people stuck on waiting lists or suffering from mental health illness is key to getting the economy back on track, adding that “the Conservatives broke our economy with their carelessness, Liberal Democrats will fix our economy with care.” 

Ed Davey will then criticise the Conservatives for being “more like a bad soap opera than a functioning government,” pointing to “the corruption of Boris Johnson, the chaos of Liz Truss and the carelessness of Rishi Sunak.” 

Finally, the Liberal Democrat Leader will issue a rallying cry to his party to bring the Blue Wall “tumbling down” at the next election. He will point to the Liberal Democrats’ record as the “strongest campaigning force in British politics,” concluding that “the British people are desperate to see the back of this appalling, out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the ones who can make it happen.”

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On the Liberal Democrat plan to fix the economy by fixing the NHS and care, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“The Conservatives have broken promise after promise on the NHS. From their 40 new hospitals, to 6,000 more GPs and Rishi Sunak’s pledge to bring down waiting lists. All of it a total con.

“Perhaps there should be a warning on the ballot paper, like there are on cigarette packets: Voting Conservative is bad for your health.

“We can’t build the economy we need with 7 million people stuck on NHS waiting lists. We can’t grow the economy with 2.5 million people shut out of the labour market by long-term physical and mental illness.

“I am so proud that we Liberal Democrats have consistently led the way in highlighting the crises in the NHS and proposing solutions. Reversing cuts to GP numbers and guaranteeing an appointment when you need one, tackling life-threatening ambulance delays, and improving access to NHS dentists.

“Health and care both are key parts of our plan for the economy. The Conservatives broke our economy with their carelessness. LiberalDemocrats will fix our economy with care.” 

On ending the Conservative soap opera, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“Britain isn’t working, because the Conservatives aren’t working. They’re more like a bad TV soap opera than a functioning government.

“The factions and the feuds. The personal vendettas. The shock exits and unwelcome returns. The total lack of connection to reality. Each episode worse than the last. Well it’s time to change the channel.

“The corruption of Boris Johnson, the chaos of Liz Truss and the carelessness of Rishi Sunak. This whole Conservative shambles. They all have to go.”

On bringing down the Blue Wall at the upcoming General Election, Ed Davey is expected to say:

“Together, the Liberal Democrats are the strongest campaigning force in British politics. Our campaigns and our victories are changing the future of British politics and turning the tide against the Conservatives.

“We’ve shown the next election won’t be all about the Red Wall. It’s about the Blue Wall too. Former Tory heartlands where we’ve shown we are the only ones who can win.

“People are desperate for change. And while Rishi Sunak clings on – out of touch and out of ideas – our job is to show the British people that positive change is possible.

“Over the last few years, we have taken big chunks out of the Blue Wall. Our job now is to bring it tumbling down. The British people are desperate to see the back of this appalling, out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the ones who can make it happen.”

ENDS