Lib Dems leader turns his fire on Farage and Trump

SIR Ed Davey has accused Nigel Farage of wanting to roll back gun laws and spark “mass shooting” drills in British schools, as he set the Liberal Democrats a target of outperforming the Tories at the next election.

- DAVID LYNCH

"Trump's America” will be the blueprint for “Farage’s Britain”, the Lib Dem chief said in an attack on the Reform UK leader during his keynote address in Bournemouth.

He also told party activists they should aim to win more parliamentary seats than the Conservatives, for the first time in more than 100 years.

Sir Ed and his party have spent the four-day conference criticising Mr Farage, US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

In his speech to wrap up the political gathering, the Lib Dem leader asked party members to “imagine living in the Trump-inspired country Farage wants us to become”.

He added: “Where gun laws are rolled back, so schools have to teach our children what to do in case of a mass shooting. That is Trump's America. Don't let it become Farage’s Britain.”

As head of Reform UK, Mr Farage has not spoken about gun control.

But in 2014, as Ukip leader, he called a ban on handguns “ludicrous” and said firearms laws should be relaxed.

Restrictions on small arms put in place after the 1996 Dunblane massacre were a “kneejerk” response, Mr Farage said at the time.