Davey: Farage's road to Number 10 runs through the Orange Wall — “and we will not let him pass”

EMBARGOED: 0600 Saturday 19th September 2026

Davey: Farage's road to Number 10 runs through the Orange Wall — “and we will not let him pass”

Arriving at his party's Autumn Conference in Brighton today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will declare that Nigel Farage’s route to Downing Street - whether buying his way in or getting the keys from Kemi Badenoch - runs straight through Liberal Democrat Britain, and that the Orange Wall will stop him.

Davey will argue that the Conservative surrender to Reform has already happened. Four sitting and 21 former Conservative MPs, including six former cabinet ministers, have defected to Farage's party since the general election and Conservative candidates must now sign up to Reform's agenda to be selected. Together, he will warn, Badenoch and Farage are set to turn Britain into a "Trump satellite state": trashing the NHS, setting communities against each other, causing untold damage to our environment, and trampling the British values of fairness, tolerance and decency.

Starting the week at a Brighton chippy, Davey will point to the fish and chip supper as the test both parties fail. While they compete over who can divide the country more, families who work hard and play by the rules are being priced out of even that simple pleasure, and the small businesses that serve them are being taxed to the brink by a Labour government with no plan for growth.

Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"While families are struggling to afford the basics and small businesses are being crippled by this government, the Conservatives and Reform can only offer anger, division, and another con to line their own pockets.

"An unholy alliance between Farage and Badenoch is the only way either can get into power. Together, they want to turn Britain into a Trump satellite state which would trash our NHS, turn our communities against each other, cause untold damage to our environment, and trample over traditional British values of fairness, tolerance, and decency.

"A bigger Orange Wall is the only thing that can stand between Britain and this dangerous experiment, and we will not let them pass. Liberal Democrats are the only party with a plan to take the brakes off the British economy, get money back into people’s pockets, and defend the traditional values that make our country great.

“Britain feels broken because it’s being held back. This conference, we’ll be setting out our vision to fix our broken politics and change our country for the better."

Closing out the first day of the conference, Davey will also address the party rally on Saturday evening under the theme ‘Why I Care, Why I Fight’.

In his speech, Davey is expected to say:

“As Liberals, we believe in the intrinsic worth of every single human being. And we are willing to fight for it…

“When we see injustice, when we see human dignity under attack, we do not look away. We stand up. We care. And we fight…

“[Reform are] not even trying to win most people’s support. What they’re banking on – what Farage is counting on to get him into Number Ten – is that we don’t care enough to see this fight through. That we’ll get tired. Depressed... That the anger and the hatred and the lies will grind us down until eventually we just give up.

“Well I hope they’re watching tonight. I hope they’ll watch us this week. I hope they’ll listen to you. Because what they’ll see, what they’ll hear is a party that won’t be ground down. That won’t be deterred. That won’t give up the fight.

“What they’ll hear is thousands of Liberals speaking with one voice, to say: We care. And we fight.”

ENDS