Davey: Farage will privatise the NHS and roll back gun laws

Ed Davey says that neither Labour nor the Conservatives can win back the public’s trust or win the battle of ideas for the future of the country.

He says “it comes down to us or Nigel Farage” and says Lib Dem values represent the change that people “crave”.

He tells the conference:

Just imagine – if you can bear it… imagine living in the Trump-inspired country Farage wants us to become.

Where there’s no NHS, so patients are hit with crippling insurance bills. Or denied healthcare altogether.

That is Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain. Where we pay Putin for expensive fossil fuels and destroy our beautiful countryside with fracking – while climate change rages on.

That is Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain. Where gun laws are rolled back, so schools have to teach our children what to do in case of a mass shooting. Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain.

Where social media barons are free to poison young minds with impunity. Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain.

He adds that a Reform government would “trample on basic rights and freedoms” and hold up figures like Andrew Tate as an example to young men.

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Labour MPs accuse Trump of lying about London mayor, saying US ambassador should be summoned over his Islamophobia

Here are more comments from Labour MPs condemning President Trump for his false claim about Sadiq Khan in London adopting sharia law. One of them said the American ambassador should be summoned to the Foreign Office and reprimanded for Trump’s Islamophobia.

From Rosena Allin-Khan

The US Ambassador should be summoned and challenged over Trump’s rampant Islamophobia. Trump continually spreads lies. In London, we celebrate our diversity and reject racists and bigots. London is the greatest city in the world in huge part due to @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social‘s leadership.

From Rupa Huq

Blatant barefaced lies as any fact-check or reality check will attest

From Dawn Butler

Trump has just told an incredible lie to the UN about our great country and our great @MayorofLondon. Now is the time to stick up for your country. Don’t let Trump lie about us in this way.

Like Streeting (see 4.13pm), Allin-Khan, Huq and Butler are all London MPs.

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Updated at 18.10 CEST

Here is Peter Walker’s assessment of the takeaways from the Lib Dem conference. He says Lib Dems think it is “entirely realistic” that they could overtake the Conservatives at the next general election.

Here is an extract.

The assumption is that the bulk of the 60-odd seats the Lib Dems won from the Conservatives in 2024 are relatively safe, partly because of the “Japanese knotweed” approach to embedding MPs but also because of the Tories’ continued collapse under Kemi Badenoch.

What has been more unexpected is the plummet in Keir Starmer’s poll ratings. In May’s local elections across England, the Lib Dems won more council seats than both Labour and the Conservatives, the first time this has ever happened.

The party is looking ahead to next May’s local elections with a growing sense that in a series of northern towns and cities, Labour risk being almost wiped out, leaving the Lib Dems as the main challengers to a probable Reform surge.

And here is the full article.

ShareAndrew Sparrow

I’m Andrew Sparrow, picking up the blog again.

Back to Ed Davey’s speech, and Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has posted this on social media.

Just watching poor Ed Davey speak. He is obsessed with me. I am happy to pay for a psychiatrist.

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Khan: Trump’s comments ‘appalling and bigoted’

Sadiq Khan’s office said it would not “dignify” Donald Trump’s “appalling and bigoted comments” by responding to them.

A spokesperson for the London mayor said:

We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response.

London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.

That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose. Thanks for following my coverage of Ed Davey’s leader speech at the Lib Dem conference.

Andrew Sparrow will be back shortly to continue bringing you all the latest UK politics news.

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Updated at 17.41 CEST

Streeting says Trump wrong to claim Sadiq Khan imposing sharia law in London

Sadiq Khan is not “trying to impose sharia law on London”, Wes Streeting has said.

Responding to false claims made by Donald Trump at the UN, the health secretary said in a post on X:

Sadiq Khan is not trying to impose sharia law on London.

This is a mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances. Proud he’s our mayor.

It comes as the US president falsely claimed London wants to “go to sharia law”.

In an address to the United Nations general assembly, Trump said:

I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed.

Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that.

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Updated at 17.39 CEST

And with that, the speech comes to an end. There is an explosion of orange confetti and streamers and Ed Davey receives an enthusiastic standing ovation in the room.

The speech lasted approximately 50 minutes and, in it, Davey made only sparing references to either Labour prime minister Keir Starmer or Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch: both leaders of the main parties were mentioned just once each.

By contrast, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was mentioned by name 30 times, Donald Trump 24 times and tech billionaire Elon Musk 10 times.

If there is one takeaway from this speech it is that the Lib Dems will be pushing to tie Farage to the Trump administration, which is a sensible strategy, given the US president’s consistently abysmal polling among the British public.

It certainly seems to have gone done well with the party faithful, as well as the 72 Lib Dem MPs, who sat behind Davey throughout the speech. He exits the stage to the sounds of Earth, Wind and Fire’s timeless classic ‘September’.

Read my colleague Peter Walker’s full report of the speech here:

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Updated at 16.50 CEST

Ed Davey is summing up his leader’s keynote speech now and circling back to some of the key themes of the last half hour or so.

He says:

Just imagine … the United Kingdom, leading again on the world stage. Standing up for our values, in the Middle East, in Europe and across the world. And here at home.

Our United Kingdom. Not Trump’s America. Not Farage’s Britain. A country where everyone’s rights are protected and respected.

Our United Kingdom. Not Trump’s America. Not Farage’s Britain.

A country where we take care seriously, and fix our NHS. A country that tackles climate change and protects our natural environment.

A country with a thriving, dynamic economy – that rewards aspiration and gives everyone the chance to succeed.

Our United Kingdom. Not Trump’s America. Not Farage’s Britain.

A country where everyone has real power to make decisions about their own lives – and where the powerful are held properly to account.

That’s our United Kingdom. That’s the country we want to be. That is the change we want to make.

He concludes:

If you are fed up with the two old parties letting you down. If you are scared of the rise of racism and extremism. If you believe in decency, tolerance and the rule of law. Join us.

Because we believe in the British people. We love our country. And together, we can change it for good. Thank you.

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Updated at 16.45 CEST

Davey: What is unfolding in Gaza is a genocide

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and says the UK must “do all it can” to stop Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Davey says:

We must call it by its name, and we must condemn it unequivocally.

What is unfolding in Gaza is a genocide. And the United Kingdom must do all it can to make Netanyahu stop.

He adds:

I am proud that the United Kingdom has finally recognised the independent state of Palestine. Something we have rightly led the charge on for almost a decade.

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Nothing can justify Israel’s ‘breaches of international law’ in Gaza, says Davey

Davey is now talking about the conflict in the Middle East and says while he shares the condemnation of Hamas, nothing can justify Israel’s “clear breaches of international law” in Gaza.

He says:

Friends, I travelled to Israel and Palestine last year. I saw the devastation in a kibbutz raided by Hamas on October 7. I joined mourners at the site of the Nova music festival, grieving the loved ones brutally slain by terrorists.

I spoke with the families of hostages who are still held captive, almost two years later. I completely share their condemnation of genocidal Hamas. I completely share their determination – their desperation – to get the hostages home.

And I condemn – I utterly condemn – antisemitism in all its forms. Including here on our streets in the United Kingdom.

And let us also be clear: nothing – nothing – can justify what the Netanyahu government is doing to innocent men, women and children in Gaza.

He adds:

We have all seen it; the baby boy – starving and skeletal – held tight in his mother’s arms. The crowds of desperate people, rushing to get food. The bodies of children, killed as they queued for water. Children. A famine unfolding before our eyes.

Conference, the actions of the Netanyahu government go well beyond self-defence. They are clear breaches of international law.

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Ed Davey says the UK must step up and stand tall on the international stage in the absence of “Trump’s America”.

He says many of the threats Britain faces are international and highlights Russian aggression as one example.

He says:

Too many of the threats the UK faces are international ones. From Putin’s Russia to climate change, from international crime gangs to foreign conflicts that cause chaos around the world and wash up on our shores.

So the UK must stand tall on the world stage. Stand together with our allies. Stand as a force for good.

As we have done proudly in solidarity with Ukraine, as they resist Putin’s brutal war machine.

No matter what Donald Trump does next, the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine must never waver.

We must continue to defend our Ukrainian friends, defend our continent, and defend the fundamental values of democracy, liberty, human rights and the rule of law.

All of which Putin is seeking to destroy.

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Ed Davey tells the Lib Dem conference that the party, with the help of the Guardian, successfully secured an independent inquiry into the carer’s allowance scandal.

He says:

Tens of thousands of carers, hounded by the DWP and even threatened with prosecution. All because the system simply isn’t fit for purpose.

So we took their fight to parliament. I raised it directly with the prime minister. We forced a vote on it. And, with the Guardian newspaper, we secured an independent review.

But it’s not over. When that review concludes – and I hope it’s soon – that will be the moment for the Government to finally overhaul the way we support family carers.

Not just to make some tweaks and tinker around the edges. But put in place a system that actually reflects the reality of life as a carer.

A system that makes it easier to juggle work with caring responsibilities. This is the moment for real change for carers. To build a more caring country. And we will press ministers to seize it.

He is now talking about a man he mentioned in his speech two years ago, Ian, who has now died from bowel cancer.

Davey says the Lib Dems will continue to push for a Ten-Year Cancer plan and contrasts those efforts with what is now unfolding in the US.

He adds:

The United States is by far the world’s biggest funder of cancer research – mostly through its National Cancer Institute.

But since Donald Trump returned to the White House, he has cancelled hundreds of grants for cancer research projects.

He’s slashing billions of dollars from the National Cancer Institute’s budget. He’s even ordered a review of all grants for research involving supposedly “woke” keywords – including the word “women”.

Davey adds:

And to the cancer scientists in the US who have had their research stopped by Trump, let’s say: come here, and finish it in the UK.

We’ll set up a dedicated fellowship scheme for you, and we won’t let extortionate Home Office fees stand in your way.

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Updated at 16.29 CEST

Davey says economic growth can only happen by rebuilding the UK’s relationship with Europe and highlights his party’s plan to cut energy bills in half by 2035.

The Lib Dem leader adds that he wants Britain to be “a caring society” and “a caring nation”.

He says:

Something that crystallised for me in something Emily said during the election campaign last year, when we were talking about the future we hoped for our son John.

Emily said: “What you’ve got to have is a caring community, a caring society. That’s our best hope for the future.”

A caring society. A caring country. That’s the kind of country we want to be. A country that properly values care – and properly values carers too.

This is personal for me, as you know. But it’s something our party has always fought for.

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Ed Davey says that only the Liberal Democrats will “fire up the economy” and calls for a new customs union with the EU.

He says:

We have to get our economy growing strongly – for so many reasons. To end the cost-of-living crisis and boost people’s living standards.

To create good jobs and real opportunities for people in every part of the United Kingdom. To generate the revenues we need for the National Health Service and our other public services and raise the money we need for our national defence too.

But another benefit of strengthening the British economy is that it would strengthen our hand in dealing with Trump. And here again, only we Liberal Democrats have set out plans for the economy that are both transformational and achievable.

Plans to rebuild our relationship with Europe, tearing down the Conservatives’ trade barriers with a new customs union, boosting trade and putting us back on the path to the single market.

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Davey says there is a lot to be fixed across the UK, highlighting “crumbling schools and hospitals” and sewage in rivers as major issues.

But, he says, there is a lot to be proud of. He tells the room:

But we shouldn’t lose sight of the many incredible strengths this United Kingdom has going for it. The best farmers, carmakers and universities in the world.

The place Hollywood comes to make Barbie, Spider-Man and Mission Impossible. The land of the Lionesses and the home of Formula One. Windermere and Loch Ness.

Male Voice Choirs and Hogmanay. County shows and school fairs. Fish and chips. Village greens and cricket pavilions.

And let me tell you – the best rollercoasters and water slides on the planet.

So much to celebrate about our country but above all, our strength lies in the British people and our shared British values.

We are a nation that believes in tolerance, decency, and respect for both individual freedom and the rule of law. That is our United Kingdom.

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Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says that “Reform’s vision of the future is not one befitting our great United Kingdom” and says he offers a better path.

He says:

The other path – the better path – is to do what Britain has always done when confronted by such big challenges in the past.

Rise to them together. With guts, determination and hope. You see, I start from a deeply optimistic view of our country.

When I travel the UK and meet people from all backgrounds and all walks of life – working hard, raising families, helping others, playing by the rules – it fills me with pride to be British. And hope for the future.

There’s a question Nigel Farage is fond of asking. He likes to ask “Whose side are you on?”

Well we know the answer, don’t we? Nigel Farage is on the side of Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Liberal Democrats are on the side of the British people. Because unlike Farage, I actually love Britain. I’m proud of our country.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey delivers his speech during the autumn conference, at the Bournemouth Conference Centre in Dorset. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PAShare

Updated at 16.13 CEST

Davey has turned to the multi-billionaire X owner Elon Musk, who addressed a far-right rally in central London last week, and says he is an “agent of chaos”.

He says:

Elon Musk, inciting far-right violence on our streets.

Just like all those revolutionary leaders throughout history, bravely issuing his call to arms – by video link, from an undisclosed location thousands of miles away. Conference, he’s certainly no craven coward, is he?

But we know why Elon Musk is so keen to meddle in our democracy, don’t we? It’s not because he cares about the British people. It’s not about our rights and our freedoms.

It’s all about Musk’s ego. His power. And his wealth. He rails against the Online Safety Act. But not because he cares about free speech.

It’s because Musk wants to run his social media platform without safeguards – without taking any responsibility for the terrible harm it is causing – especially to our children.

He adds:

After Musk took over and slashed the platform’s child-safety teams, X has become a much more dangerous place for children.

The promotion of self-harm. Of grooming. Of sexual exploitation. All happening on Elon Musk’s watch.

No wonder he wants to get rid of the laws to tackle it. And Nigel Farage says we should give Musk what he wants.

A Wild West on social media, that only benefits Musk and his ilk – while our children suffer.

I say no. The UK must stand up to Elon Musk, and properly enforce our laws so he can’t get away with inflicting harm on our children.

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‘Hypocrite’ Nigel Farage to blame for small boats crisis, says Ed Davey

Davey is now attacking Nigel Farage’s record on immigration and highlights how his support for Brexit “ripped up 27 return agreements” with EU states.

He says Farage caused the small boats crisis, alongside the Tories and Boris Johnson, and that he ought to apologise.

Davey says:

And look at this hypocrite’s big announcement on deportation last month. Look at what his plan really means.

Sending men, women and children who have fled the Taliban back to Afghanistan to be murdered by them and even paying the Taliban to do it.

That isn’t patriotic. That isn’t British. That isn’t who we are. And that’s why it’s so frustrating – so infuriating – that Farage gets such an easy ride from the media.

As he lies and divides, the BBC and others give Farage so much time and attention. But they never hold him to account for all the damage he has already done.

The damage of Brexit. Farage was Brexit’s champion. The damage of Donald Trump. Farage campaigned for him. All the damage of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Farage backed them both.

So much that is broken in our country today is broken thanks to Nigel Farage. And now he wants to break it even more. Unless we stop him.

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Updated at 16.10 CEST

Davey: Farage will privatise the NHS and roll back gun laws

Ed Davey says that neither Labour nor the Conservatives can win back the public’s trust or win the battle of ideas for the future of the country.

He says “it comes down to us or Nigel Farage” and says Lib Dem values represent the change that people “crave”.

He tells the conference:

Just imagine – if you can bear it… imagine living in the Trump-inspired country Farage wants us to become.

Where there’s no NHS, so patients are hit with crippling insurance bills. Or denied healthcare altogether.

That is Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain. Where we pay Putin for expensive fossil fuels and destroy our beautiful countryside with fracking – while climate change rages on.

That is Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain. Where gun laws are rolled back, so schools have to teach our children what to do in case of a mass shooting. Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain.

Where social media barons are free to poison young minds with impunity. Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain.

He adds that a Reform government would “trample on basic rights and freedoms” and hold up figures like Andrew Tate as an example to young men.

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The Lib Dem leader is now pitching his party to moderate Conservatives and addresses ‘One Nation’ Tories directly.

He says he has lost count of the number of voters who say the voted Tory all their lives but have now switched to the Liberal Democrats.

Davey says:

My message to millions of former Conservative voters, millions of One Nation conservatives who reject the divisive politics of Badenoch and Farage, my message to you is this:

Come and talk to us. About our ideas to grow the economy. Cut crime. Defend our nation.

Come and join us. To oppose this failing Labour government and offer our great country real change.

Come, Conservative friends. Help us save our country. Come and win with us.

He jokes that he is letting the members in the hall into another “secret” and says that the Lib Dems will be targeting Labour seats too.

He says:

I said before the election, that just getting the Conservatives out of power wouldn’t be enough.

We were all worried, weren’t we? That Labour wouldn’t be nearly ambitious enough to make the big changes our country needs.

I really hoped Labour would prove us wrong. But they haven’t. They’ve no vision for our country’s future. No plan to really change things.

Conference, don’t just take it from me. That’s what Labour MPs and Labour members are saying about their own government. After being failed and neglected for so long, the country needed leadership. Clarity. Vision.

It needed the government to succeed. To turn things around. To just be better.

Instead, they’ve lurched from mistake to mistake. From U-turn to U-turn. Crisis to crisis.

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