Lib Dems Hope Ed Davey's "Fun" Campaign Antics Will Attract Voters To Their Policies

Liberal Democrats hope pushing leader Ed Davey into the campaign limelight, including by performing comical stunts, will arouse the interest of voters who are otherwise apathetic about Westminster politics.

Davey has emerged as one of the most talked-about features of the campaign since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the 4 July general election nearly a fortnight ago.

The former Cabinet minister has been pictured falling off a paddle board into Lake Windermere and hurtling down a water slide as part of his bid to increase the number of Liberal Democrat seats in the House of Commons. On Tuesday, he was pictured removing blocks from a big, blue Jenga tower — the bricks representing Tory-held constituencies.

Sir Ed Davey with today’s Lib Dem effort at an eye-catching event, pulling bricks out of a ‘blue wall’ until it comes tumbling down .. not hard to guess what’s the message here pic.twitter.com/kunsyPVz97

While tongue-in-cheek, it is a deliberate effort, according to party figures, to inject some excitement into the six-week general election campaign by showing Davey "having fun along the way". The hope is that the stunts, while intended to be fun, are also drawing attention to the party's wider policy platform — particularly among voters who have so far shown little interest in the election and politics more generally.

Party sources believe this approach will get Westminster and the public talking about the party’s plans more than if policies had been promised in set-piece speeches or other more traditional campaigning moments. 

Last week, for example, Davey was pictured on a waterslide in Somerset as he talked about the party’s plans to improve metal health treatment provision for children.

The housing charity, Shelter,