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| Ed Davey: Tories have betrayed British people | Ed Davey: Tories have betrayed British people |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Sir Ed Davey: If PM has any integrity he'd call an election | Sir Ed Davey: If PM has any integrity he'd call an election |
| Sir Ed Davey: If PM has any integrity he'd call an election | Sir Ed Davey: If PM has any integrity he'd call an election |
| Political infighting in the Tory Party during the cost of living crisis is a "betrayal of the British people", says Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey. | |
| Sir Ed said the Conservatives had used people as "playthings" during a tumultuous summer that saw three prime ministers in two months. | Sir Ed said the Conservatives had used people as "playthings" during a tumultuous summer that saw three prime ministers in two months. |
| "The faces at the top may change, but all the same problems remain," he said. | "The faces at the top may change, but all the same problems remain," he said. |
| Calling for a general election, Sir Ed said his party would "end the chaos". | Calling for a general election, Sir Ed said his party would "end the chaos". |
| Give struggling homeowners £300 a month - Lib Dems | Give struggling homeowners £300 a month - Lib Dems |
| Lib Dems promise right to see a GP within a week | Lib Dems promise right to see a GP within a week |
| Lib Dems cancel autumn conference | Lib Dems cancel autumn conference |
| In a speech to Lib Dem party members, Sir Ed said the Conservatives "almost bankrupted Britain" with "unfunded tax cuts for the super wealthy". | In a speech to Lib Dem party members, Sir Ed said the Conservatives "almost bankrupted Britain" with "unfunded tax cuts for the super wealthy". |
| Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was forced to scrap much of his mini-budget after it spooked financial markets. | Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was forced to scrap much of his mini-budget after it spooked financial markets. |
| In the days after the statement on 23 September, the pound fell to historic lows against the dollar and the cost of government borrowing increased. | In the days after the statement on 23 September, the pound fell to historic lows against the dollar and the cost of government borrowing increased. |
| "Instead of tackling the cost of living crisis seriously, they chose to treat the British economy as their own personal playground," Sir Ed said. | |
| "Using people as playthings in their reckless game of fantasy economics." | "Using people as playthings in their reckless game of fantasy economics." |
| The Lib Dems cancelled the party's autumn conference following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. | The Lib Dems cancelled the party's autumn conference following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. |
| Sir Ed Davey paid tribute to King Charles III in his speech | Sir Ed Davey paid tribute to King Charles III in his speech |
| The conference had been due to begin during the period of national mourning and clashed with the state funeral on 19 September. | The conference had been due to begin during the period of national mourning and clashed with the state funeral on 19 September. |
| Over the past week the party has announced a series of new polices, including offering struggling homeowners a £300-a-month grant to pay off mortgages. | |
| In his speech, Sir Ed also called for the government to abolish Ofwat, the water services regulator, over its failure to prevent sewage being dumped into the UK's waterways. | In his speech, Sir Ed also called for the government to abolish Ofwat, the water services regulator, over its failure to prevent sewage being dumped into the UK's waterways. |
| The Lib Dems' plan "is about innovation, investment, trade and people", he added. | The Lib Dems' plan "is about innovation, investment, trade and people", he added. |
| He said: "Liberal Democrats are leading the charge for new defences for Britain. | He said: "Liberal Democrats are leading the charge for new defences for Britain. |
| "We must fortify our nation - not just with troops and submarines, but with wind turbines, solar panels and tidal power. | "We must fortify our nation - not just with troops and submarines, but with wind turbines, solar panels and tidal power. |
| "And we must insulate every home - not just from the cold, but from the cost of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's gas war." | "And we must insulate every home - not just from the cold, but from the cost of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's gas war." |
| Ed Davey has stepped up his attacks on the Conservatives. | |
| Boosted by by-election wins in former Tory strongholds, he wants to show the Lib Dems can punch above their political weight. | |
| After leading calls for a windfall tax and energy price freeze, there's another eye-catching policy announcement to help people struggling to pay their mortgage. | |
| And Davey talked up the party's environmental credentials and its focus on the NHS and social care. | |
| He knows the early general election he wants is unlikely - so it's all aimed at positioning his party as best placed to unseat Conservative MPs in certain areas whenever the UK does next go to the polls. | |
| The talk of making the next general election the last under the first past the post system could be a signal to Labour that if there's a hung Parliament then Lib Dem support could come at the price of electoral reform. | |
| Sir Ed said his party "will be ready" when the next election is called. | Sir Ed said his party "will be ready" when the next election is called. |
| Unless an earlier one is called, the next election isn't due until January 2025. Opposition politicians have been leading calls for a general election, following Liz Truss's resignation. | Unless an earlier one is called, the next election isn't due until January 2025. Opposition politicians have been leading calls for a general election, following Liz Truss's resignation. |
| In a direct attack on the prime minister, Sir Ed said: "Rishi Sunak, your government does not have a shred of credibility left. | In a direct attack on the prime minister, Sir Ed said: "Rishi Sunak, your government does not have a shred of credibility left. |
| "If you had a shred of integrity left, you would call a general election now. | |
| "Being scared of the Liberal Democrats isn't a good enough reason to deny the British people their say." | "Being scared of the Liberal Democrats isn't a good enough reason to deny the British people their say." |
| In the last year, the Lib Dems have won a series of by-elections, taking seats in the House of Commons off the Conservatives - including overturning a 24,000 vote majority in Tiverton and Honiton in June. | |
| Mr Sunak "knows we will do it again - in seats along the Blue Wall, and right across the country", Sir Ed said. | |
| He also committed the party to ending the current first past the post (FPTP) voting system. | |
| He said the Lib Dems must introduce a form of proportional representation - where seats in parliament are allocated so that they are in proportion to the number of votes cast. | |
| In 2011 the Lib Dems, campaigned to replace FPTP with an Alternative Vote system but were defeated. |