Davey vows to challenge Farage and calls for ‘Swedish-style’ budget changes

Sir Ed Davey has vowed to take the fight to Nigel Farage by challenging his “snake-oil sales” with “thought-through” policy.

In a wide-ranging speech, the Liberal Democrat leader accused his Reform UK rival of having “no answers” to the problems facing Britain and said voters “can’t bank on anything that man says”.

He also set out calls for a major shake-up of economic and net-zero policy, including a Swedish-style approach to the Government budget whereby MPs are allowed to debate tax and spend changes before it is finalised.

Nigel Farage will tell you about all the problems, but when you ask him about his answers, he's just got nothing to say

Speaking at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in central London, Sir Ed said his party had considered its proposed reforms carefully beneath the headline announcements.

Asked if a focus on technical detail would cut through to voters enough to combat a populist threat in the polls, he said: “The truth is, Nigel Farage has no answer, right?

“Nigel Farage will tell you about all the problems, but when you ask him about his answers, he’s just got nothing to say.”

He added: “We’ve got to hold these people to account for getting away with their snake-oil sales… the difference with us is we have thought through the policies underneath the headlines, which is why people can bank on them.

“They can’t bank on anything that man says.”

Asked if he saw Reform UK as the main political threat, Sir Ed said: “He has to be taken on… I think he keeps misleading people.”

The Lib Dem leader said Mr Farage’s approach to renewable power “would only benefit foreign dictators like Vladimir Putin”.

He unveiled a package of pledges which he claimed could cut energy bills in half within 10 years, including a proposed switch of all green power contracts on to a subsidy scheme guaranteeing generators a fixed price.

Such contracts for difference (CfD), awarded at a Government auction, would mean the “link can be broken” between electricity costs and market fluctuations caused by the price of gas, Sir Ed said.

He also proposed an Office for the Taxpayer, based in Parliament and designed to hold policy-makers to account to go alongside a Swedish-style approach to the budget.

“The Swedish Parliament gets to debate the Government’s budget – and can propose alternatives and amendments – before it is finalised, and gets a proper period of scrutiny and accountability in the months that follow,” he said.

“And now, Sweden’s debt is down to 30% of GDP.

“So I think we should put more power in MPs’ hands to hold the Treasury and every Department properly to account on behalf of our constituents.”

However, shortly after Sir Ed’s speech Reform hit out at the use of CfDs and said it would axe contracts awarded in the upcoming auction – Allocation Round 7 – if it won power, claiming they would be too costly.

In a letter to energy companies on Wednesday, deputy leader Richard Tice MP said he was giving firms “formal notice” that his party would seek to tear up the deals, adding: “Let me be clear: if you enter bids in AR7, you do so at your own risk.”