Matthew Cole
Political correspondent

In an hour of interviews Sir Ed Davey covered a lot of ground - but it was clear he wanted to talk about the small boats crisis.

He repeatedly blamed the Conservative party and Reform UK's Nigel Farage - whom he specifically name checked a number of times - saying the Brexit they had championed was responsible for the number of small boats now crossing the channel.

Davey said closer ties and co-operation with the EU - paying money to join its new pact on Migration and Asylum - would end the current crisis, allowing arrivals to be sent back to whichever European Union state the arrived from.

The Lib Dem leader pledged a "serious conference" in the coming days - saying his party would unveil its policies on the cost of living crisis and to tackle troubles in the NHS and with social care.

It will be interesting to hear how his party will pay for its proposals - not least after he said he believes the triple lock on pensions is sustainable - and should therefore remain

When pressed on his party's record in local government, he continually asked for time - telling at least three BBC local radio presenters there was "no magic wand" to instantly turn around councils the Lib Dems have recently taken over from other parties.

Nationally he claimed the Liberal Democrats are in the strongest position for over a hundred years - but as for other parties, he said the "jury was out on Andy Burnham" and that he had a "moral duty" to stop Reform UK.

We're now ending our live coverage.

Could the UK join the EU’s migration and asylum pact?published at 11:53 BST

11:53 BST

By Tom Edgington

The Lib Dems want the UK to join the new European Union, external(EU) Migration and Asylum Pact.

Sir Ed Davey told BBC Radio Kent that signing up to it wouldn't mean re-joining the EU, saying it’s a “separate agreement - by doing that we regain the right to send everyone back”.

The pact - which came into force in June - is designed to make it easier to send asylum seekers back to the EU countries they travelled through.

While the pact could potentially be used to return small boat arrivals, the rules also require nations to take migrants from EU members with the highest number of arrivals - such as Italy and Greece - or instead provide extra funding or resources.

There’s also the question of whether the UK would be allowed to join, given it officially left the EU in 2020.

Some countries that aren’t EU member states - like Norway and Switzerland - are part of the pact. However this is tied to them being part of the Schengen zone - the area that guarantees free movement to citizens of the countries who have signed up. The UK has never been part of Schengen.

So it remains to be seen whether the EU would be open to allowing a non-member to join, and what its obligations would be.

Tony Bonsignore
Political reporter, BBC Westminster

BBC Radio Solent has also been speaking to Sir Ed Davey - you can listen to that pre-recorded interview here.

In that interview, Sir Ed Davey pointed to closer collaboration with the EU as a possible solution to the issue of small boat crossings.

He says the EU's New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which came into force in June, would go a long way to dealing with the problem, by allowing for faster processing and quicker returns to other EU countries of asylum seekers.

It's something he also mentioned in his interview with BBC Radio Kent.

Reform UK's plan to use the navy to turn back boats is "nuts", the Lib Dem leader says, while he describes the Conservatives' Rwanda plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda to deter crossings as a huge waste of money.

What Davey doesn't address is why the EU would include the UK in this pact, and what any agreement would look like. We'll have more on that from BBC Verify in our next post.

Thomas Mason
Political reporter, BBC Westminster

Some more from Davey's interviews with BBC local radio this morning.

The Lib Dem leader told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that sending young people to prison – even for short sentences – means they “learn about how to do more crimes”.

He insisted that he’s "hard not soft on crime", saying his approach is to stop offending in the first place, which is better for victims.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, he said the Lib Dems’ “practical policies” on immigration, the NHS and the cost of living will cut through - amid questions about whether his party is being crowded out by the Greens and Reform UK.

On the subject of small boat crossings, he said that deepening international co-operation to solve an international problem makes sense, unlike what he called the “nasty policies” of Reform.

Later, on BBC Radio Somerset, he defended his tactic of using eye-catching stunts to garner attention, saying: “The slip-and-slide that I did in Somerset was great fun and we did end up winning six new MPs.

"I’m not saying it was just the slip-and-slide, but I think it helped that enthusiasm we got and I’m really grateful to the people of Somerset”

Chloe Parkman
BBC News, South West

Sir Ed Davey tells BBC Radio Cornwall's Julie Skentelbery dentistry across the country is in "crisis".

But the Liberal Democrat leader says he is aware Cornwall is one of the worst affected areas when it comes to being able to access NHS dentists, citing a Cornish patient who was forced to travel to south-west London for treatment.

"How crazy is that?," he says. "We really, really need to make improving NHS dentistry a priority for the country, but particularly for Cornwall."

Davey also speaks about water companies, saying his party wants to "take the profit out of the water industry".

"We've got a model, which works in other countries, which takes the profit out... and can get the job done," he says.

That wraps up Davey's local media round - we'll bring you some of the key lines and analysis from his interviews shortly.

James Diamond
BBC News, West of England

On BBC Radio Somerset, Davey is asked if the Lib Dems stand a chance in the next elections, given the Green Party and Reform UK have risen in the polls.

In response, Davey says he believes his party is in its strongest position for more than 100 years.

“We’ve been gaining in local councils across the country since [the last general election],” he tells presenter Simon Parkin. “We now run more local councils than the Conservatives.“

Davey also asserts that the Liberal Democrats are the "only party that can stop Reform".

The Lib Dems gained a number of MPs in Somerset the last time the country went to the polls, and currently runs Somerset Council. Nationally, the party currently has 71 MPs.

Asked why his party should be trusted to run the country, given Somerset Council is in serious financial difficulty, Davey says: “We’re putting in the hard yards to turn this around."

For context, in July a Somerset Council spokesperson said it is facing rising demand and costs in essential services "alongside a local government funding system which does not adequately reflect the cost of delivering services in a large rural county".

Is Davey right about asylum seeker returns before Brexit?published at 11:07 BST

11:07 BST

By Tamara Kovacevic

Answering questions on BBC Radio Kent, Sir Ed Davey linked Brexit to small boat crossings, saying: “Before then we had the right to return everybody who came across on a small boat - we lost that right.”

It’s worth remembering that the Home Office only started counting small boat crossings by migrants in 2018.

Before the UK formally left the EU at the start of 2021, it was part of the Dublin agreement, which allowed some asylum seekers to be returned to the first country in the EU that they had entered.

Under the scheme, some people could be sent to the UK too as other factors like family reunion were taken into account.

In the years before the Brexit vote, the UK returned more people than it received - but in relatively small numbers.

After the 2016 referendum, asylum seekers transferred to the UK under the scheme started to outpace returns.

Dr Peter Walsh from the independent Migration Observatory based at the University of Oxford told BBC Verify last year that there was some evidence that migrants were aware that the UK had left the Dublin agreement, which had previously made them feel at risk of being returned to the EU.

Apart from Brexit, he also highlighted other pull factors, including family and community already in the UK, English language and perceptions of the UK as being more tolerant.

Evie Lake
BBC North East & Cumbria

Sir Ed Davey tells BBC Radio Newcastle's Anna Foster that dualling the A1 in Northumberland would be "one of our priorities for sure" if the Lib Dems entered government.

Campaigners have been calling for the stretch between Morpeth and Berwick to be dualled for decades due to the number of accidents, but plans were scrapped in 2024 due to a £500m price tag.

Dualling is the process by which a road is upgraded from a single carriageway to a dual carriageway.

In August, Prime Minister said the government would look to see if there was an "alternative way" of putting together the necessary funding for the scheme.

Davey says: "I think we will inherit a really difficult situation but we will turn it around like we've been turning around councils, sorting our their finances and then we can spend on the things that people really want like things like dualling the A1."

He adds they would raise the funds needed by "growing our economy".

Davey's interviews with BBC local radio have now finished - we'll bring you posts shortly on his conversations with BBC Radio Somerset and BBC Radio Cornwall.

Aimee Dexter
BBC News, Cambridgeshire

Image source, Sue Dougan/BBC

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Chris Mann questions Sir Ed Davey about the approval of plans for a new busway between Cambourne and Cambridge, which would be built through greenbelt land.

Davey says: "There are always difficult decisions to make when you are trying to improve transport facilities which people also want."

He is also asked about the four-day working week at Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council.

He says the authority had faced "a particular problem" when recruiting staff. "They couldn't afford the high wages that other employers in the private sector were working, so their solution was a four-day week."

Davey adds: "They were offering a package would give people a balance... because they took that policy they were able to recruit and retain and therefore have better people and quality services."

Next, Davey speaks to BBC Radio Newcastle.

Tony Bonsignore
Political reporter, BBC Westminster

As we approach the next election, one of the growing political debates is likely to be around the sustainability and fairness of the pension triple lock.

Introduced in 2011, it guarantees that the state pension will increase by either average wage growth, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is highest.

All the major parties currently support the triple lock, but with the public finances under pressure, and young people struggling to find employment, there are calls from some for a rethink, and for the money saved to used elsewhere.

But Sir Ed Davey doesn't appear to be wavering in his support.

He tells BBC Radio Shropshire that the triple lock has done much to reduce pensioner poverty, and this can be done "at the same time as giving hope and employment to young people".

Patrick Barlow
BBC News, South East

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, Anna Cookson asks Davey about his party's policy to tackle small boat crossings, which he says he "didn't think people were voting for" when they voted for Brexit.

In August, the Liberal Democrat leader said the UK should join the EU’s new Migration and Asylum Pact, which aims to speed up the asylum process and spread responsibility for asylum seekers across the EU.

He tells BBC Radio Kent: “We regain the right to send everyone back. We have to pay a fee for that but it's much, much less than we pay on hotels and to the French police.

"It's just don't believe it's logical to think we can tackle what is an international problem by ourselves."

According to government figures, the number of people arriving in the UK in the first half of 2026 fell by 41% on the year before.

Davey says progress is being made because there has been more focus on co-operation with other countries - and that is "limited and it's not anywhere near enough".

The Lib Dem leader is next speaking to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire - as a reminder you can watch live all the interviews at the top of the page.

Aida Fofana
BBC News, West Midlands

Back in April, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told BBC Radio WM's Ed James resolving the long-running Birmingham bin strike should be the top priority for the city council's next administration.

His colleague, Roger Harmer, was elected leader of Birmingham City Council in June, with his party forming a minority administration with the Greens and Better Birmingham Independent Group.

Now, 103 days into local government, Davey says "massive progress" has been made - and that his "guess" is the strikes will be "solved" by the end of the year.

But there are "still some hurdles" to overcome, he adds.

"They've brought sides together. They've talked to the unions, they've talked to the council officers. There is progress."

Davey adds: "What I didn't say on your program that we've got a magic wand to come wave and sort out immediately."

Next up, Davey speaks to BBC Radio Kent.

Andy Giddings
BBC News, West Midlands

Sir Ed Davey defends his party's record at Shropshire Council and says it is doing the work needed to turn the council around.

His party took control of Shropshire Council from the Conservatives over a year ago and inherited serious financial issues, but have so far been unable to bring the budget under control.

Davey tells BBC Radio Shropshire: "Its going to be difficult to turn around. There are going to be some difficult decisions, but we're already ahead of target."

"Doing the nitty gritty hard work is what Liberal Democrats do in communities up and down the country," he says.

He also praised the support the council has had from the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire, Helen Morgan, and says: "I don't think I've ever met such a popular MP."

Up next, Davey speaks to BBC Radio WM.

Matthew Cole
Political correspondent

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

We'll bring you the latest from Sir Ed Davey's first interview - with BBC Radio Shropshire - shortly. In the meantime, here's more from our senior political reporter, Matt Cole, on the challenge Davey's party faces.

When you're the third party in politics (at least in terms of MPs), you're slap bang in the middle of a Parliament and as far from the last election as it is until the next one, how do you get noticed?

How do you stand out. How do you seem relevant?

That's the challenge facing Sir Ed Davey and his Liberal Democrat party.

While Reform UK - with only a fraction of the Lib Dems' MP numbers - has shot up in the opinion polls, the Liberal Democrats are flatlining. Not going up, not really going down... just holding firm at around 12 per cent.

Davey has told the BBC his party will go into the next general election as the "strongest third party force in 100 years" and claims he expects to make gains.

But can he? And could that really be to the extent that he might become the next prime minister?

Some suggest he needs to do a deal with Labour, to help shut out Reform UK. But when asked about this, the veteran of the 2010-15 coalition says he won't engage in "hypotheticals." Davey is clearer that there is "no way" his party will work with Nigel Farage's Reform.

But how then to cut through? And how to avoid getting squeezed into obscurity from both sides of the left/right political spectrum.

Davey champions the idea of a customs union with the European Union and rejoining the single market. He says that will allow Britain access to the EU migration pact which will "stop the boats."

He also says his party still wants electoral reform - proportional representation - which he says will allow Britain's "broken political system" to be fixed.

Selling policies like these isn't easy, but that's the task that lies ahead.

The BBC local radio interviews with Sir Ed Davey have begun.

BBC Radio Shropshire presenter Mark Elliott is the first to question the Liberal Democrat leader.

You can watch live at the top of the page - we'll also bring you the key lines here.

Matthew Cole
Political correspondent

Sir Ed Davey is now into his seventh year as Liberal Democrat leader.

He took over in August 2020 after his party had faced successive drubbings in the general elections of 2015, 2017 and 2019.

But in the years that followed things changed. Was it his policies or the wetsuit-wearing stunts that dramatically turned his party's fortunes at the 2024 General Election?

Either way, the Liberal Democrats returned 72 MPs - their highest number for more than a century.

That restored the Lib Dems to being the third largest party in the Commons and entitled Davey to a profile boosting two questions each week at Prime Minister's Questions.

It’s not uncommon for him to use those to push his party's calls for closer EU links and to press for action on improving social care to ease pressure on the NHS and carers.

He takes a close personal interest in the latter, not least because he cared for his dying mum as a 16-year-old and now cares for his severely disabled son.

However, his image as an authentic, regular-guy politician isn't to everyone's taste - including some in his party who question if he could do, or be, more.

Politics is now a noisy, crowded, multi-party space and some wonder if he's doing enough to help his party cut through.

Image source, PA

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will participate in a round of interviews with BBC local radio presenters this morning ahead of this year's party conference season.

We'll be giving a similar opportunity to figures from across the main Westminster parties ahead of their conferences - first up earlier this month was Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice.

It is the turn of the Lib Dems this week as the party's autumn conference is due to begin in Brighton on Saturday.

First up to quiz Davey is Mark Elliott on BBC Radio Shropshire from 10:08 BST, with Ed James up next on BBC Radio WM and Anna Cookson on BBC Radio Kent.

They will be followed by Chris Mann on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Anna Foster on BBC Radio Newcastle and Simon Parkin on BBC Radio Somerset.

Rounding out the hour with the final questions will be Julie Skentelbery on BBC Radio Cornwall from 10:52.

We'll be bringing you key lines from the interviews, which you will be able to stream back-to-back at the top of the page by hitting the watch live button.