Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will close his party’s conference today with a speech targeted at winning over Conservative voters.
A theme of the conference has been attempting to win over disaffected Tory voters in dozens of “Blue Wall” seats ahead of the next general election.
In his keynote speech today Sir Ed will attack the Conservatives over the economy and the NHS.
The Lib Dem leader will say “voting Conservative is bad for your health” and pledge to “fix our economy with care” after the Tories “broke” it with “carelessness”.
What time is Sir Ed Davey’s speech today?
Sir Ed’s speech is the final event of the conference, and is scheduled to begin at 2.30pm. There will be a live stream of the speech, as well as other events from the main stage, on the Lib Dems’ YouTube channel here.
The conference, which started on Saturday, is being held at the Bournemouth International Centre.
What will the Lib Dem leader say?
The Lib Dem strategy at the next election will be to target traditionally Tory seats, where the party, buoyed by a series of by-election and local election successes, hopes it stands a chance of making significant gains.
Party workers have about 80 seats in their sights where they came second to the Conservatives at the last election.
As such, much of Sir Ed’s focus is on local health services and the environment, which his party believes are crucial to woo voters in places like southern England.
In what could become a catchphrase during the long campaign, Sir Ed will tell conference: “Perhaps there should be a warning on the ballot paper, like there are on cigarette packets: Voting Conservative is bad for your health.”
Sir Ed will tell delegates the Lib Dems are “the strongest campaigning force in British politics” as he seeks to boost party morale, describing conference as the moment the “starting gun” is fired on electioneering.
“I am so proud that we Liberal Democrats have consistently led the way in highlighting the crises in the NHS and proposing solutions,” he will say.
“Reversing cuts to GP numbers and guaranteeing an appointment when you need one, tackling life-threatening ambulance delays, and improving access to NHS dentists.
“Health and care both are key parts of our plan for the economy. The Conservatives broke our economy with their carelessness. Liberal Democrats will fix our economy with care.”
He is expected to add: “Britain isn’t working, because the Conservatives aren’t working. They’re more like a bad TV soap opera than a functioning government.
“The factions and the feuds. The personal vendettas. The shock exits and unwelcome returns. The total lack of connection to reality. Each episode worse than the last.
“Well it’s time to change the channel… The British people are desperate to see the back of this appalling, out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the ones who can make it happen.”
