Lib Dem logo bird projected on blockwork

Against very familiar rivals, Jo Swinson will be the wild card of the election

The latest defection to their ranks will embolden optimistic Lib Dems to think that we are on the verge of a big realignmen. David Steel once told a Liberal conference to "go away and prepare for government". They went away and remained in opposition. Vince Cable once said that he could imagine himself becoming prime minister. Which is where that idea stayed: in his imagination. Nick Clegg did take them into government during the coalition years, an experience that ended with the Lib Dems losing all but eight of the 57 MPs they started with five years earlier.

View

Jo Swinson Leader of the Liberal Democrats

This evening, I had the pleasure of welcoming Sam Gyimah onto stage at Lib Dem conference, as our eighteenth member of Parliament. Sam Gyimah is a fantastic Remain campaigner. He was one of the 21 Conservative MPs that had the whip removed for helping us to stop no deal. He is a man of principle, and I'm so glad he's joined the Liberal Democrats this evening. Sam joins Chuka Umunna, Sarah Wollaston, Jane Dodds, Phillip Lee, Luciana Berger and Angela Smith in joining us in recent weeks. And it's not just MPs. We've been seeing the biggest and most sustained membership surge in our party's history in recent months. We've had 40,000 new members join us, 20,000 more register as supporters, and we're surging in the polls. There is something special happening in the Liberal Democrats. Labour and the Conservatives are led by ineffective leaders and have been taken over by the extreme wings of their parties. It is clear that people are rallying around the Liberal Democrats as the strongest party to

View

UK Lib Dem news

Four women in Sudan, holding agricultural tools
International Affairs

Defending Women’s Rights Across the Globe

Women’s rights around the world are under attack, with authoritarianism on the rise and deep cuts to UK aid undermining decades of progress. Defending women's rights must be a top priority and the UK must act boldly.

CM
23 Sep 2025
View
Satellite in orbit
Science & Technology

A New Hope for the Space Industry

Space is no longer science fiction – it underpins our economy, security, and daily lives. Our new policy will renew the National Space Strategy, support UK spaceports and hubs, and designate space as a strategic industry.

VC
23 Sep 2025
View
High Peak Liberal Democrats AGM Notice 7.30pm, 4 December 2024

This website uses cookies

Please select the types of cookies you want to allow.

These are necessary for the website to function properly.
These help us to understand how our visitors use our website.
These allow us to display content from other websites that track you for advertising purposes.