Liberal Democrats no longer being ignored as they threaten to oust Tories as UK's second party

We are in the midst of a sea change in British politics. It is too soon to say how long it will take or exactly what the picture will look like, but we already know that the strength of the party players has shifted.

This past two weekends the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties have been holding their conferences. The Tories are next.

The evidence so far tells us that people in charities, organisations and public life who seek those with influence were drawn to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton. It was about much more than the celebratory atmosphere.

There is an ever-sharper contrast between the post-election image of the Lib Dems and the Conservatives. For the first few weeks of this Labour government, the Tories could have been forgiven for being slightly downtrodden and discombobulated by the scale of their defeat. The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, were emboldened and downright chipper.

Of course we all expected Labour’s conference to be about the promise of a new government, regardless of the depression about the economy and media fascination over who is dressing the inhabitants of 10 Downing Street. For clarity, I must state here that I buy all my own clothing, and new glasses.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey delivers his keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat autumn conference in Brighton (Picture: Carl Court) | Getty Images

What came as a pleasant surprise to a lot of us, however, was the rapid re-emergence and growth in interest in our own Liberal Democrat conference the previous week.

It felt so very different to previous years. The exhibition was huge. The media were everywhere and any spaces in my diary for private meetings and coffees were booked out long before I headed for Brighton.

The rush had begun almost immediately after the general election with my inbox full of invitations and requests. But the real difference was apparent in the media’s questions. What do you aim to do with 72 MPs? What will be the Lib Dems’ main focus? Are you the real opposition now?

Perhaps most telling of all was the constant undercurrent of debate about how the party political landscape of British politics will look once the Tories have settled their latest leadership race. Will they take the party to the right in a bid to oust Reform or try to regain some right of centre ground? And will it make a difference to how the Liberal Democrats  prosper?

I doubt that there is much difference. We will prosper either way. The depth of the struggle facing the Conservative party is evidenced by their lack of impact or even a presence since July.

While nobody has emerged from the Tory pack to challenge Labour on either their depressing downbeat agenda or their internal wrangles over Sue Gray and the Starmers’ fashion costs, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has snatched their abandoned spot on the stage.

The focus has shifted to the centre, towards the Liberal Democrats and away from both the Tories and Reform. A gap has opened up in British politics, the Liberal Democrats are set to fill it. The Tories cannot.

Of course they have five years to try to recover but, while they do, it will be my party, the Liberal Democrats, whose only focus will be on constructive opposition and the future of Britain.

Christine Jardine is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West