Lib Dems say moral duty to defeat Farage, Davey tells BBC at autumn conference

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said his party has a moral duty to prevent Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party from entering government, telling the BBC at the party's autumn conference in Bournemouth that voters were turning away from Labour and the Conservatives while some were attracted to Reform.

He argued that the Lib Dems could be the alternative by offering radical change in tune with British values and said Farage wanted the UK to be like Trump's America. In remarks that framed the party's challenge, Davey suggested Reform had gained traction even as the Lib Dems pressed a message of steadier, more inclusive policy.

Last year's general election left the Lib Dems with 72 seats and Reform with five, but Reform has led opinion polls in recent months. Davey acknowledged that momentum existed but said it was not fully reflected in the polls and urged his party to take the fight to Reform, saying, "We have a challenge. We have got to take the fight to Reform."

Asked how the Lib Dems could win over Reform voters, Davey pointed to concerns about illegal immigration and argued the government should call a national emergency to address the backlog in processing asylum claims. "If we get rid of that asylum backlog and close the asylum hotels, I think that would reassure many communities," he said, tying immigration policy to broader worries about the cost of living and energy bills.

At the Bournemouth conference, the Lib Dems drew attention with a display of Lego models of what they called a "plastic patriot" Nigel Farage, a visual device intended to highlight the party’s critique of Reform UK.

Asked whether the Lib Dems were obsessed with or frightened by Farage, Davey said he was not frightened but insisted the party needed to expose him. "I am certainly not frightened – the issue is we need to expose him," he said.

Davey argued that Reform would move the country toward a model he described as harsher and less in keeping with British values, saying that a Reform government would make the UK more like Trump’s America. He countered that the Lib Dems offered a different path: a change that is in tune with the country’s values and aimed at building a decent, caring society.

The Lib Dem leader also criticized Labour, arguing that voters had "lost trust" in a government he said had failed, and that his party could provide a credible alternative focused on practical solutions rather than slogans. He described Reform as a potential threat to the stability and fairness he said underpin British politics.

The remarks came as the BBC faced questions about how it covers Reform UK. Davey criticised the BBC’s coverage and accused the BBC News website of not providing enough scrutiny of Farage’s party. A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster is committed to due impartiality and to giving appropriate scrutiny to all political parties.

Observers note that Reform UK’s surge in tighter polls has intensified the competition for voters who are disillusioned with Labour and the Conservatives. While the Lib Dems highlight policy areas they argue would lower energy bills and tackle the cost of living, Reform emphasizes a hard line on immigration and a populist economic approach. The autumn conference in Bournemouth is a platform for the Lib Dems to articulate an alternative path forward ahead of any potential future elections, and for Davey to frame the party as the responsible, values-driven option in a crowded political field.

As the conference continues, analysts and party supporters will watch whether momentum translates into demonstrable gains in public support and whether the Lib Dems can translate their messaging into effective votes in key constituencies. The unfolding dynamic in UK politics keeps Reform UK in focus as it seeks to consolidate its position outside the traditional two-party axis, while the Lib Dems strive to position themselves as the pragmatic alternative focused on policy delivery.