// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Davey says Lib Dems are 'firewall against Farage' as conference begins
Ed Davey says the Lib Dems have "a historic opportunity to win many more seats and a moral responsibility to stop Reform"
Sir Ed Davey said the Liberal Democrats are "a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform" as the party's conference began in Brighton.
The Lib Dem leader sought to strike a combative stance as he faced down some criticism from MPs, including one who said publicly that they felt the party was struggling for relevance.
On the first day of the autumn conference, Sir Ed warned an "unholy alliance" between Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Farage could turn the UK into a "Trump satellite state".
Addressing speculation about a possible snap election, he said the party was ready to fight and would build its so-called orange wall even higher by winning more than its 2024 record of 72 MPs.
Sir Ed's attention-grabbing stunts helped raise the party's profile ahead of the last election, but recent polling showed 43% of respondents were unclear what the Liberal Democrats stand for, with just over half describing them as "weak".
In an essay, external written ahead of conference, South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage asked: "Why are we as a party struggling for relevance at precisely the moment when so many people feel powerless?"
She urged the party to rediscover its "insurgent spirit" rather than being the "polite custodians of a system that leaves people feeling powerless".
Asked about her comments, Sir Ed said: "No, I heard Roz [Savage], and I really value her, but I think she's wrong on that.
"If you look at our election results up and down the country, we now run more councils than the Conservatives."