'The fight goes on': Sir Ed Davey insists Lib Dems will continue to push for u-turn on winter fuel payments

14 September 2024, 14:19 | Updated: 14 September 2024, 14:31

Sir Ed Davey speaks to LBC at Lib Dem conference

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said "the fight goes on" to stop the government from making cuts to winter fuel payments.

Speaking to LBC, Sir Ed said he would continue to put forward alternatives to the plans in a bid to persuade the government to rethink their options.

He said he understood the importance of balancing the books but taking winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners was not the solution.

It comes as the Lib Dems kicked off their party conference in Brighton on Saturday.

Sir Ed was seen arriving in style, as he glided across the sea on a jet ski.

"The fight goes on," he said. "I think by putting forward alternatives like I did at PMQs - showing that you don’t have to take this awful policy proposal that is going to hurt millions of pensioners to balance the books.

"The books need to be balanced. Let’s be clear, the cCnservatives left an awful financial mess.

"But I don't think you do that on the backs of millions of pensioners."

He added: "It’s going to be difficult, I'm frank about that, but you use the power of argument.

"We’ve got the budget coming on October 30, we’re going to be arguing for a whole range of things ahead of that and this will be one of them."

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Ed Davey arrives at Lib Dem conference on jet ski

Addressing other options the government could consider, Sir Ed said: "If we really insulate pensioner homes we can bring down their fuel bills permanently.

"If we invest in renewables that’s cheaper than fossil fuels and that can bring energy bills down.

"We've talked about something called the warm homes discount which can help bring bills down directly.

"The fight goes on and that’s an example of how we’re going to be a constructive opposition unlike the Conservatives."

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.

Despite having fun in the process, Sir Ed said the stunts have a serious meaning behind them too, with the Lib Dems pushing hard to tackle the sewage crisis.

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."

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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.