The Commons: Who Will Lead the Liberal Democrats Moving Forward?
UK Parliament
The Liberal Democrats are in the midst of a leadership election, but as they occupy but a small parcel of Parliament, the party rarely invites a spotlight. Contrary to what its lacking media presence would suggest, the party is significant not only to the balance of power between Labour and the Conservatives, but also between the balance of ideology between Liberalism and Conservatism. This upcoming election will serve to steer the future of the Liberal Democrats in terms of their Parliamentary influence and legitimacy.
Despite capturing a mere 11 seats in 2019, the Liberal Democrats have always been important not for their size but for their ability to partner with other parties in the case of a hung parliament. The Lib Dems are small but influential for Parliament, and thus, so is their future landscape of policies and reliable support. For the last five years, the party has suffered two main issues: the ongoing fallout from the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition and tensions around Brexit. Internally, the coalition government angered a fraction of Lib Dem voters, who saw the government as a betrayal of their support. A party that holds dear the liberal ideal of government at consent of the governed, many were shocked when leader of the Lib Dems at the time, Nick Clegg, reversed course on some of the party’s most profound promises. This perceived betrayal has been hard to shake. On a Parliamentary stage, the party’s consistent pro-Europe and Remain stance has posed an issue for the Lib Dems public perception. Former leader Jo Swinson led the movement for overturning Brexit, a move that for much of the British public would have been “an undemocratic reversal of the referendum [... running] up against the British sense of fair play.”
Undeniably, both the legacy of The Coalition and of the party’s anti-Brexit stance have damaged the legitimacy of the party – legitimacy both candidates hope to reclaim.
This leadership election comes nine months after the December 2019 general election. After losing her own seat in Parliament, Jo Swinson’s retirement from the helm signified the arrival of a new era for the Liberal Democrats. The two candidates on the leadership ticket are current interim Co-Leader Sir Ed Davey and Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon since 2017. Both candidates have made clear that opposition to Brexit is no longer of top priority, and though united there, these frontrunners maintain key differences that may serve to define the fate of the Lib Dems.
Davey is running the dual ideals of a ‘Caring Society’ and a green coronavirus recovery plan. Much of his political persona is defined by his past as a carer for his ailing mother. His plan is to “care for our carers,” instituting greater employment benefits, boosting the carers allowance, and “securing equal rights and protections for carers in the workplace and beyond” through the Equality Act. As well, as current co-leader of the party, Davey has pledged “£150bn of investment over the next three years to create green jobs and save our planet” with the hopes that he will be at Lib Dems’ helm to oversee this green recovery. Finally, Davey has leant on a tried-and-true rhetoric: he is in the position currently and has campaigned against the supposed misgivings of the Conservative government, specifically their handling of the coronavirus pandemic: He knows the lay of the land in Parliament and can bring that experience into the leadership role.
Setting herself apart from Davey, Moran hopes to be a new life force for the Lib Dems. In her eyes, the party needs to be revived from the losses of the last decade. The Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition drove away a good amount of the party’s voter base and eroded the trust of the voters that stayed. The last ten years losses’ are not irreparable, but in Moran’s eyes, this election will be the defining moment. Moran has stated that in a “sink or swim situation” for the party, she can bring about the necessary change. Opposed to Davey’s tried-and-true rhetoric, Moran does not think her opponent has done enough to stop the party from invisibility in Parliament. “At a time when the UK needs a strong liberal voice to challenge Boris Johnson’s isolationist Conservatives,” Moran wants to step up and amplify the Lib Dem voice, more than Davey has for the last eight months and more than any leader has for the last ten years.
In terms of her policies, she is largely focused on “education, economic fairness and the environment” A former teacher, she hopes to “reimagine” education in the UK by decreasing inequality in the classroom – leaning heavily on the liberal ideal of equal opportunity. Her view of economic fairness would see greater investment in “education, health, social care and public services” with the aim of creating a more “compassionate” society. Finally, much like her opponent, Moran hopes to use COVID-19 as a turning point for the UK’s environmental future. As environmental advocacy is a pillar of the Liberal Democratic leadership, it is unsurprising that both candidates have emphasised the importance of a greener future for Britain.
For many, Layla Moran represents the future for the Liberal Democrats: a candidate to shake the divisive legacy of the Lib Dem coalition with the Tories – something she has ruled out completely – and “renew and revitalise” the party moving forward. Specifically in reaction to the “coalition hangover,” Moran hopes to “achieve something that’s greater than all of this stuff, which is frankly tactical – [...] a kinder, gentler politics in [the UK] that is less divisive and generally more respectful.”
Where Davey’s platform aims to balance the classic Liberal Democrat values of fairness and equality with his leadership track record, Moran’s platform seeks to go one step further – reinvigorating the party through expanding its voice and distancing itself from a dissonant history.