SIR ED DAVEY has appealed to voters in London and its commuter belt to “tear down the Blue Wall” as he set his sights on exceeding expectations for his party on July 4.
In an exclusive interview with the Standard, the Liberal Democrat leader told how he was aiming for a “game, set and match” triple win in south-west London as his party targets Wimbledon, Sutton and Cheam and Carshalton and Wallington. He also hinted that he believes the Lib-Dems could pull off some surprises on election night in the London area.
His party has a recent history of great election hopes evaporating as the counts came in in 2015, 2017 and 2019 showing they suffered losses or failed to gain many seats.
Travelling on the train from Waterloo to Wimbledon, Sir Ed acknowledged these flops but is still optimistic as his party targets seats in the capital and Home Counties, many on South Western Railway routes. “London commuters need to tear down the Blue Wall in southwest London and in all the commuter belt, the Home Counties, from Hertfordshire to Surrey, to Kent to Sussex,” he said. “Liberal Democrats are the ones who can beat the Conservatives in these areas.” He is quick to throw in the two words “Liz Truss” which polling expert Sir John Curtice says sow doubts in voters’ minds about whether or not they should trust the Tories on the economy.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Versatile Gomes could be the missing piece of England midfield puzzle
OF THE four newcomers in the squad, no player signifies the start of Lee Carsley's new England revolution more so than Angel Gomes.
I'M READY TO GO DISTANCE WITH SINNER'
DRAPER HAS PLENTY LEFT IN THE LOCKER FOR HIS BLOCKBUSTER US OPEN SEMI AGAINST WORLD Not
Pope needs strong finish after good start takes worrying dip
THE OVAL Test so often feels like the end of something, but that is not really the sense as this summer of red-ball renewal draws towards a close.
The manager has exciting new ideas and beliefs - now I want the chance to show him what I can do
IT MUST have been an occasionally frustrating summer for Jarrod Bowen, who initially looked poised to be a key player for England at Euro 2024 before having to watch their strange tournament unfold from the sidelines.
Lloyd's profits hit £4.9bn for half year as prices rise
LLOYD’S of London, one of the City’s most significant financial institutions, reported a sharp rise in half-year profits today in a boost for the Square Mile.
What Londoners really want in bed (it's not what you think)
GEN Z are having the same amount of sex as baby boomers, BDSM is on the rise and a whopping number of millennials are open to polyamory, according to a new report into sex habits by the Kinsey Institute, in partnership with dating app Feeld.
Seven years on, the scandal of cladding still shames us
A S Britain absorbs the second phase of the report into the Grenfell Tower inferno, with its accumulation of horrors, an event last week serves as warning and a rebuke to the pace with which we have got here.
Is Gen Z to blame for the horror show of carbonara in a can? Oh, do give over
THERE won’t be historians in the future — only conspiracy theorists — but if there were, you might expect them to pinpoint the downfall of civilisation to last week, when Heinz announced it had put spaghetti carbonara in a can (spoiler: it’s a disaster). Heinz says this is all Gen Z’s fault, because the lazy sods can’t be bothered to cook.
Our glorious Paralympics is no fluke at all
IT’S been an incredible Paralympic Games and I’ve loved watching all of the action whether it be on the track, on the court, in the water or the arena.
Bowie in Berlin: how the German city changed him
Anew radio show explores how David Bowie disappeared into the city to reinvent himself. Dylan Jones has a first listen