Britain | Bagehot

The bungee-jumping, sandal-clad right-wingers of British politics

If the Liberal Democrats want to replace the Conservatives, they must move further right on the economy 

illustration of Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, standing on a paddleboard. He is holding a paddle triumphantly above his head, with a confident smile
Illustration: Nate Kitch

It was all worth it. The paddle-boarding, the alpaca-stroking, the thrusting in the Zumba class, the makeover on morning television, the rollercoasters, the falling off the surfboard, the falling off the paddleboard, the falling off an obstacle course, the bungee-jumping. Every gimmick that Sir Ed Davey, the usually serious-to-the-point-of-pompous leader of the Liberal Democrats, endured during the election campaign was worth it when, on July 4th, the party enjoyed its best result in a century.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Rightward, ho!”

From the September 21st 2024 edition

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