Davey: Lib Dems are last block against 'forces of darkness' led by Farage

The Liberal Democrats are the only remaining block against “the forces of darkness” led by Nigel Farage, Ed Davey has told his party's annual conference in a speech that repeatedly and at times personally took aim at the Reform UK leader.

- Peter Walker Senior political correspondent

With Lib Dem strategists increasingly believing that Reform has become the party's main opponent, Davey sought to yoke Farage directly to Donald Trump, arguing that if Farage won power, Reform would implement many of the same policies as the US president - including a relaxation of gun laws.

In a section of the speech that is likely to annoy Farage, Davey predicted that a Reform government would dismantle the NHS, enable racism and misogyny and roll back gun laws so British schools would have to teach children what to do in a mass shooting.

The last element was based on comments Farage made in 2014, when he was the Ukip leader, in which he called for a ban on handguns to be relaxed. A Reform source denied it was party policy, calling the Lib Dems "an irrelevant laughing stock".

"Trump's America. Don't let it become Farage's Britain," Davey said in a refrain he repeated several times.