LIBDEM leader Sir Ed Davey has issued a rallying cry to his party to drive Boris Johnson from No 10 saying he was not “worthy” to be Prime Minister.
In his keynote address to his party’s annual conference, Davey said the Tories could only be ousted from power if the LibDems take seats from them at the next General Election.
He launched a personal attack on Johnson accusing him of a “total lack of shame or decency”, saying the Conservative Party had become an “ugly, ugly sight” under his leadership.
Davey also used his speech to call for a £15 billion Covid catch-up plan for education with vouchers worth £200-a-year issued directly to parents to spend on their children’s learning.
READ MORE: LibDem membership collapses by more than a quarter as discontent grows
In his first live address since becoming leader last year, Davey said the LibDems’ win in the recent Chesham and Amersham by-election, where they overturned a 16,000 vote Tory majority, showed they could take seats in the so-called Tory “blue wall” across southern England.
Speaking to around 150 activists in London’s Canary Wharf, he said part of the reason for their victory was a “groundswell of frustration and discontent” among voters who felt ignored and taken for granted by the Tories.
“They just don’t feel that Boris Johnson represents them.
“Or shares their values.
“They’re not convinced the Prime Minister is competent, or worse still, decent,” he said.
“Wherever you look in this shocking Government, the truth is, that over the last few years Boris Johnson has remade the Conservative Party in his own image.
“And it is an ugly, ugly sight.
“His casual disregard for facts or truth.
“His trail of broken promises from ‘No border in the Irish Sea’ to ‘No tax rise’.
“And his total lack of shame or decency.”
READ MORE: Rise of populism is testimony to 'failure of mainstream politics', says Ed Milliband
Davey said the role of the LibDems in the current parliament should be to act as a “gathering point” for all those who were fed up with the “indecency and incompetence” of the Tories and wanted them out.
“Make no mistake: the electoral arithmetic is clear.
“These Conservatives can’t be defeated next time unless we Liberal Democrats win Tory seats,” he said.
“Boris Johnson will stay in Downing Street unless we throw him out.
“This is a heavy responsibility but frankly it’s all the motivation I need.”
In his main policy initiative, Davey called on the UK Government to heed the advice of its former education catch-up tsar Sir Kevan Collins who quit after ministers refused to back his plans for a multi-billion pound recovery programme.
The LibDem leader said there should be a £15bn catch-up programme over three years, with £5bn going directly into the pockets of parents through catch-up vouchers.
He suggested the scheme could be “the world’s biggest-ever parent-listening exercise” with schools and governments having to take account of their views.
LibDem leader Ed Davey spoke in front of around 150 at an event in London
“Parents could choose to spend it with their child’s own school – on an after-school homework club, on one-to-one tuition, on special extra-curricular activities from sports to music lessons, provided for that child by their school,” he said.
“As long as it was supporting the education and well-being of their child, it would be the parents’ choice.”
READ MORE: Michael Gove urged to return donor's £120k over 'blatant conflict of interest'
The LibDems said that under the proposals, catch-up vouchers worth £200 a year would be given to parents for all 8.3 million children in state-funded schools.
There would be double vouchers, worth £400, for disadvantaged children and triple vouchers worth £600 for pupils with special educational needs.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel