Sir Ed Davey MP has been chosen by Liberal Democrat Party members in an election where more than 67,000 people voted.

On his election, Ed said:
“Our country is going through one of the most extraordinary and difficult periods for generations. The challenge of Covid will affect our country and the world for decades to come. Millions of people are suffering.

As Leader of the Liberal Democrats, I want to reach out to help you and your community get through this. Whether your concerns are your families’ health, your children’s education or your livelihood.”

He has made clear the Party must listen hard to voters and show them we’re on their side. He’s launching a National Listening Programme to do that. Here are some of the key things he said in his acceptance speech.

• I am launching a National Listening Program from today so that voters can tell us what matters most to them. I will be travelling around to meet people. I want to spend time with all sorts of people and figure out where they are in their lives.
• I want to understand how we can deliver more of what small business owners, nurses, teachers, parents, carers and communities really need. I want to get beyond Westminster.
• I want to rebuild our connection to people so that we can help get through this terrible time together. That’s what the Listening Program is about.
• Our job as a party is to represent people. My job as our leader is to move us forward. That means being able to speak for more people in this country and being able to make their concerns our own.
• Our party has a great history of being a powerful, modern, principled and distinctive voice in British politics. We have to find a way to get back to that again.