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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey pledged to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 by 2034 if his party forms the next government. This would be funded through economic growth from rejoining the EU single market and customs union, unlike Reform UK's proposal which he described as "cruelty." Davey also criticized Nigel Farage for fueling anti-migrant sentiments and claimed that millions of moderate Conservatives are moving towards the Liberal Democrats due to dissatisfaction with current leadership.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Liberal Democrats, led by Sir Ed Davey, are gathering for their party conference in Brighton from October 7th, aiming to address concerns about their recent lack of growth and relevance. Recent polling shows that 43% of respondents were unclear what the Liberal Democrats stand for, with over half describing them as "weak." Ahead of the conference, some MPs criticized Davey's leadership, urging a rediscovery of the party’s insurgent spirit rather than its current role as polite custodians.
Davey has outlined plans to focus on tax cuts and rejoining the EU customs union and single market, arguing that these moves will help ease cost-of-living pressures and stimulate economic growth. He also vowed not to give up fighting against what he terms "nasty populism," targeting parties like Nigel Farage's Reform UK and individuals such as Elon Musk.
Despite internal frustrations, Davey emphasized the party’s commitment to defending the NHS and countering anti-migrant sentiment. His speech highlighted past political activism, including a successful boycott of Barclays Bank over its investments in apartheid-era South Africa, linking this to current struggles against injustices both domestically and globally.
The conference seeks to reestablish the Liberal Democrats' profile ahead of future elections by addressing issues like tax reform and EU relations while countering populist rhetoric and policies. Davey's leadership aims to galvanize party members and supporters amid skepticism from some quarters about his ability to lead the party effectively.
Written for “Lib Dem Conference Speeches” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has pledged tax cuts that the party plans to pay for with the economic growth they expect to see from rejoining the EU single market and customs union.
asserted
they → pledge → market
The latter proposal is different from Reform UK’s plan to do the same thing, he said, as theirs would be paid for through “cruelty”.
asserted
theirs → say → cruelty
The Lib Dem pledge, meanwhile, would be funded by “the dividends of growth” from a deal the party would seek to make if they were voted into power to join the EU’s single market and a customs union.
asserted
they → fund → market
If they won a general election, the party would start by raising the tax-free allowance in line with inflation and plan to bring it up to £15,000 by year five – which if the next election is in 2029 as expected would not be until 2034.
asserted
election → win → 2034
The threshold has been set at £12,570 since 2021 and is due to remain there until 2031.
asserted
threshold → set → 2031
The moves would reduce the amount of tax paid by those who remain in lower bands due to the changes.
asserted
who → reduce → changes
They would need to secure a deal with the EU first, which they have said they expect could be done within a year.
uncertain
they → need → year
Sir Ed said: “I’m announcing our plan to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000.
“Taking two million more people out of paying tax altogether and giving most taxpayers a £680 tax cut.”
asserted
I → say → cut
He went on: “Now – you might have heard Robert Jenrick say something similar at Reform’s conference.
uncertain
Jenrick → go → conference
Read More
“But here’s the big difference.
asserted
difference → read → ?
“Jenrick didn’t say this, but Reform’s figures show they’d pay for it by ripping £22 billion of crucial support away from disabled people.”
asserted
they → say → people
Sir Ed said the Lib Dems would pay for the tax cut “fairly and honestly”, and not with borrowing, hiking taxes or “fantasy spending cuts that never materialise”.
asserted
that → say → cuts
“We will pay for it from the dividends of growth.
asserted
We → pay → growth
The growth that comes from our bold new partnership with Europe.”
asserted
that → come → Europe
Elsewhere in his speech, he took aim at Nigel Farage, who he said was giving oxygen to anti-migrant protesters in Portsmouth and Devon.
asserted
he → take → Portsmouth
He said the Reform UK leader was “eager to fan the flames of hatred and intolerance to make himself richer.
asserted
himself → say → hatred
He claimed millions of moderate Conservatives are “turning away” from the Tories under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership and “increasingly to us”.
asserted
millions → claim → us
In a call to widen the Lib Dem’s appeal, he said the party was in the “fight of our lives” and that they would not win by “retreating into our own bubble, talking only to people who already agree with us”.
asserted
who → widen → us
It comes on the final day of a Lib Dem conference in which Sir Ed, who has led the party since 2020, has faced questions over its failure to cut through to the public amid a crowded field of parties.
asserted
who → come → parties
Several polls have shown a significant chunk of the public are not seeing and hearing about the party, and are unclear about what they stand for.
uncertain
they → show → what
Sir Ed has dismissed concerns from an MP and councillor that the party is struggling to stay relevant, putting it down to a side effect of the party’s growth after it won a record number of MPs in 2024.
asserted
it → dismiss → 2024
The Conservatives accused them of being “Labour enablers”, saying the party has “no clear economic policy of their own”.
asserted
party → accuse → own
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