Can the Liberal Democrats become relevant again?

With neither the Conservatives nor the Labour party keen to talk publicly at least about softening Brexit, is there a gap in the market for an unashamedly pro-EU party? This is – once again – the hope of the Liberal Democrats. Speaking in York on Sunday at their first in-person party conference since the pandemic, Ed Davey played to the Europhile base – describing Brexit as ‘the elephant in the room of British politics’.

‘Let me shout it, yet again,’ Davey said, ‘if you want to boost our economy, you have to repair our broken relationship with Europe.’ He had barely finished his sentence before the crowd was on its feet in a standing ovation, clapping, cheering and stamping their feet for over a minute. The EU clearly still sits firmly in the mind of members: among the merchandise available in the conference gift shop was Christopher Bartram’s tome Brexit: What the Hell Happened.