Liberal Democrats See Net Gains in English Councils, Ed Davey Champions Centrist Alternative

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has positioned his party as an alternative to the “extremes” of Reform UK and the Green Party, after the Liberal Democrats secured 153 additional councillors in England and six new seats in the Scottish Parliament.

The party gained control of Stockport and Portsmouth councils. However, these gains were outpaced by Reform UK and the Green Party of England and Wales, with the Liberal Democrats primarily benefiting from reduced support for the Labour and Conservative parties.

In Hull, a Reform UK surge led to the Liberal Democrats losing control of the council, while Nigel Farage’s party also obstructed their prospects in Conservative-held Hampshire.

Speaking from Edinburgh, Sir Ed stated, “British politics is in flux, the old two parties have failed, people are looking for change.” He presented the Liberal Democrats as offering “change that is true to British values,” distinguishing it from what he characterised as “the change of the populist parties on the extremes of left and right – Reform and the Greens.”

Sir Ed countered suggestions of his party losing momentum, noting this marks the eighth consecutive year of net gains for the Liberal Democrats in English council elections and their strongest Scottish result in nearly two decades. He remarked, “Clearly, the populist parties on the extremes of left and right have also done well. But I think the more that they are exposed and the more people see their policies, they will realise they are either pipe dreams or the politics of division.”

In Stockport and Portsmouth, where the Liberal Democrats were already the largest party, Labour losses enabled the Liberal Democrats to secure overall control, despite opposition from Reform UK. The party also consolidated its position in Sutton and Richmond-upon-Thames, south-west London, now holding every council seat.

Across south-east England, the Liberal Democrats capitalised on declining Conservative support, winning the new East and West Surrey councils. Despite securing nine additional seats on Hampshire Council, substantial gains by Reform UK prevented any party from achieving overall control.

In the Scottish Parliament election, the Liberal Democrats increased their representation to 10 seats, taking Edinburgh Northern and Strathkelvin and Bearsden from the Scottish National Party (SNP), and overturning a significant SNP majority in Sky, Lochaber and Badenoch. However, the party experienced a notable loss to the SNP in its traditional Shetland stronghold.

In Wales, party leader Jane Dodds returned to the Senedd, though she remains the sole Liberal Democrat in the Welsh parliament.