Research published by More in Common has done little to improve the mood.
Polling by the think tank found fewer people understand what the Lib Dems stand for than Restore — the hard-right party founded only a few months ago by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe. Asked to describe Davey, the two most common responses were “don’t know” and “not sure.”
The fifth MP quoted above warned there is a disconnect between the leadership and the activist base. Those around Davey are “shocked” when confronted with how unpopular he is among some members, they said.
Davey’s told the Sunday Times’ he “shares” his critics’ frustration — but blamed the party’s lack of progress on the “crazy politics we’re in.”
The Lib Dem spokesperson quoted above insists the party is in an “incredibly strong position” and has seen its “best result for a century, and achieved a record breaking streak of remarkable local election results” under Davey’s leadership.
Bobby Dean, the Lib Dems’ shadow commons leader, told POLITICO: “Ed has all the ingredients to be a really powerful messenger.” He points to sections in the More in Common polling that shows among respondents who did know Davey, he was described as “likable” and “competent.”
“Those are like good building blocks to start from,” Dean says.
The problem for Davey is that, six years into the job, plenty in his party are starting to wonder how much longer the building work can go on.