Sunday, July 23, 2023

Ed Davey: ‘Tactical Voting Can Lock Tories Out of Power for a Generation’

THE OBSERVER: Lib Dem leader says people lending their votes to rival parties could shut the door on Conservatives at Westminster for years to come

Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke with party leader Ed Davey in Frome, Somerset, on Friday. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The Tories could be locked out of power for a generation if supporters of other parties vote tactically at the next general election, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, says on Sunday, after his party chalked up another stunning West Country byelection victory.

A massive 29% swing to the Lib Dems saw Sarah Dyke take the Somerton and Frome seat, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 19,200. Davey’s party now has a comfortable 11,000 majority of its own, the largest it has ever had over the Tories in the constituency. » | Toby Helm, Political editor | Sunday, July 23, 2023

As an Arab might say, inshallah! Send this régime packing: this band of corrupt, incompetent, greedy fools! Clowns! Rapacious clowns!

This country needs a business-friendly party to lead it. The Tories used to be that party. Alas, no longer. No business-friendly party would turn its back on the biggest, most-successful single market in the world: The Single Market – a market of 500m or so consumers. Only an idiot would turn its back on such a market.

It is to be hoped that we will soon witness the demise of the Conservatives. We Brits deserve better than this. – © Mark Alexander