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In his speech at the Liberal Democrat conference, Sir Ed Davey struck a familiar note in positioning his party between ‘the two old parties’. He sought to present his party as the embodiment of middle ground British values — a bid to win over One Nation Conservatives and disillusioned Labour supporters.
But he also devoted considerable attention to contrasting the Liberal Democrats with Reform UK, whom he identified with Trump-style policies from the US. Behind this lies an ambitious strategy — to replace the Conservatives as the official opposition and to confront the rising force of the populist right.
Click the link below to read the article and then answer the questions:
Don’t let Farage turn UK into Trump’s America, Davey tells Lib Dems
TIP: Research the main policy areas where the three main UK-wide parties (Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) have taken up distinctive positions — the economy, welfare, law and order, foreign policy. Look for areas of similarity as well as difference.
A good starting point would be the 2024 general election manifestos — see UK general election 2024: everything you need to know for a useful overview. Note key developments since then, such as the Labour government’s policies on winter fuel allowance, illegal migration, relations with the EU or the Gaza crisis, and the views of the opposition parties
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