Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey launched an extraordinary attack on Nigel Farage, saying the ‘forces of darkness’ are lining up behind him – and claiming he would tear up gun laws
Nigel Farage’s Britain would be a Trump-inspired hellscape with the “forces of darkness” lined up behind him, Sir Ed Davey has warned.
In a blistering attack on the Reform leader, the Lib Dem chief told supporters that racism and misogyny would have “tacit” support of leaders and the NHS would be dismantled. In his keynote speech Sir Ed told said the Lib Dems have a moral duty to unite against Reform.
But he faces a furious backlash after claiming that gun laws would be rolled back and children would have to prepare for the risk of mass shootings. Reform immediately accused him of “spouting total madness” and dismissing him as an “irrelevant laughing stock”.
Sir Ed told the party confernce in Bournemouth: “Imagine living in the Trump-inspired country Farage wants us to become. Where there’s no NHS, so patients are hit with crippling insurance bills. Or denied healthcare altogether.
“Where we pay Putin for expensive fossil fuels and destroy our beautiful countryside with fracking – while climate change rages on.”
He went on to point out Mr Farage’s previous comments criticising the UK’s handgun ban, claiming gun laws would be “rolled back” if Reform came to power. This would mean schools “have to teach our children what to do in case of a mass shooting”, Sir Ed claimed.
In 2014 Mr Farage, then leading UKIP, hit out at a “kneejerk” response to the 1996 Dunblane massacre, which claimed the lives of 16 children and a teacher. He branded a ban on handguns “ludicrous”. But since becoming Reform boss he has not called for a relaxing of firearm laws, and the party says it has no plans to do so.
Sir Ed added: “That is Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain.” He went on: “So much that is broken in our country today is broken thanks to Nigel Farage. And now he wants to break it even more. Unless we stop him.
“This will not be easy. The forces of darkness are working together – across the whole world.” Accusing Mr Farage of being a false patriot he said: “Nigel Farage is on the side of Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Liberal Democrats are on the side of the British people.
“Because unlike Farage, I actually love Britain. I’m proud of our country.”
He appealed to millions of disenchanted Tories to switch their allegience, saying: “Help us save our country. Come and win with us.”
And he warned Keir Starmer that his party would also be targeting Labour voters, accusing the Government of lacking vision and stating: “Every day, Labour is looking more and more like Continuity Sunak.”