Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey arrives at party conference in Brighton on jet ski

14 September 2024, 12:49 | Updated: 14 September 2024, 13:33

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has arrived at the party’s autumn conference in Brighton on a jet ski.

Sir Ed’s stunts during the 2024 general election campaign over the summer, which included bungee jumping and falling off a paddle board, garnered significant media attention.

They appeared to pay off as the Lib Dems won 72 seats to deliver their best performance since the present day party was established in 1988 having entered the election with just 15 MPs.

The party leader evidently intends to continue with this approach as he was seen waving from his jet ski off the Sussex coast ahead of the party's autumn conference.

Ed Davey arrives at Lib Dem conference on jet ski

Sir Ed was joined at sea by four of the party's new MPs also on jet skis before he was eventually seen mooring up in Brighton marina.

Pippa Heylings of South Cambridgeshire, Josh Babarinde of Eastbourne, Anna Sabine of Frome and East Somerset and Alison Bennett of Mid Sussex also participated in the stunt.

The Lib Dem party conference will be held from September 14 to September 17 at the Brighton Centre and The Grand Hotel.

Ahead of the conference, Sir Ed told the Guardian: "We’re very excited and happy, obviously, but there’s a sense of responsibility too."

Read more: Sir Ed Davey hails ‘exceptional’ result as Liberal Democrats secure record number of seats in General Election

Read more: Ed Davey holds Kingston and Surbiton in biggest ever Liberal Democrat majority

After their election strategy was based firmly on policies around the NHS and care, it is likely these will be key topics of discussion.

Sir Ed has expressed frustration over the lack of discourse around care during the election.

He said: “It’s so clear that if you want to reform the NHS, you’ve got to do social care.

"You’ve got to bring in family carers too, given that if you want to boost the economy you’ve got to be looking around everywhere for people who are able and willing to work.”

Lib Dem policies include paying care workers a minimum of £2-an-hour more than the “national living wage”, professionalising training and accreditation for the sector and more help for personal and family carers.

This comes following Sir Keir Starmer's announcement that the health service needs to "reform or die" with "major surgery, not sticking plaster solutions", after a probe from independent peer, Lord Darzi.