Sir Ed Davey says Lib Dems could treble MSP tally at Holyrood election in May

Liberal Democrats could potentially triple their seats at Holyrood in May’s Scottish elections, the party’s UK leader has declared.

With the Lib Dems currently having five MSPs – including one who defected from the Scottish Tories – Sir Ed Davey said he originally thought his party may be able to double its tally.

However he said that after “very, very positive” conversations with Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, the party could do even better than that.

Asked about the party’s prospects in the May 7 Scottish election, Sir Ed said: “Originally I thought maybe doubling would be good, but possibly tripling, that would be amazing.”

Sir Ed told the Press Association that would be “in sharp contrast to the Conservatives,” who he said “could lose two thirds of their MSPs”.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are hoping to pick up 10 constituency seats at Holyrood in May’s election, retaining the four they won in the 2021 and targeting six more.

But the Lib Dems are also hoping to pick up more MSPs on the second regional ballot paper.

Speaking about that regional vote, which is part of Holyrood’s system of proportional representation, Sir Ed said: “Anyone across the whole of Scotland can vote Liberal Democrat  with the peach ballot paper.”

He added: “It is exciting, the campaign is going well. I’m really excited about our prospects, we seem to be doing well in the constituencies we can win, but also across the whole of Scotland.”

His comments came as he appealed to voters disillusioned with Labour, the Conservatives and the SNP to vote for his party, and to reject the “divisive and damaging policies” of Nigel Farage and Reform.

Speaking during his visit to the Liberal Democrats Scottish conference in Edinburgh, Sir Ed said: “I think it’s really important that Scottish voters, and voters across the country, realise how damaging Nigel Farage and Reform would be.”

He added: “If you look at the amazing Liberal values that Scotland holds, a country that believes in fairness, I am afraid the divisive and damaging policies of Nigel Farage and Reform are totally against Scottish values.”

He accepted that people “are frustrated at politics”, claiming that the SNP have “failed for so long” at Holyrood, while Labour are “doing dreadfully” at Westminster.

The Liberal Democrat added: “People are rightly fed up with politics, so I would say ‘look at the Scottish Liberal Democrats for Holyrood’.

“We offer real change, change with fairness at its heart.

“We’ve got detailed policies to improve our healthcare and other public services, to get our economy going.

“That is the change that is true to Scottish values and I think would be attractive  to many voters, whether we can win in their constituency or in their region, with the peach ballot paper on the list.”

His comments came ahead of a conference speech where he insisted Liberal Democrats have an “uplifting vision” for the country.

He insisted his party has a “positive agenda for change in Scotland”, contrasting that with “Farage’s divisive, destructive kind of change”.

Sir Ed told supporters: “We’ve got the vision. We’ve got the message.

“Now all we need is to get as many Liberal Democrats elected to Holyrood to make it happen.”