The Liberal Democrats will press a new confrontational line against wealthy tech and crypto figures, party president Josh Babarinde said as delegates gathered in Brighton, arguing the shift is needed to return power and cash to ordinary voters.
Standing outside Toynbee Hall in east London, the 33-year-old Eastbourne MP said the party must challenge what he described as "big modern giants" that are blocking people’s prospects, and called on members to "flip the table over and rise up." Babarinde linked that tone to a wider strategy he has promoted since becoming party president after his election in 2024 and his elevation to the role in November.
He framed the proposal as part of a broader push to reach beyond the party’s traditional middle England base, arguing the Liberal Democrats need digital campaigning that matches their well-regarded ground operation. The appeal comes against the backdrop of a party that won 71 MPs in 2024 but has stalled at about 11% in opinion polls for months.
Babarinde pointed to his own record of community engagement as evidence of his approach, including a social enterprise smartphone repair service he founded to employ former offenders and at-risk young people, a project that earned him an OBE. He said that practical interventions can change how people view their skills and prospects, and that the party must offer similar routes to inclusion.
Recent electoral gains give some momentum, 153 council seats in England in May and six Scottish parliament seats, but those advances were smaller than those recorded by the Greens and Reform UK. Internally, MPs fret that leader Ed Davey struggles to command the same media attention as political rivals; some colleagues contrast Davey’s efforts, including a televised bungee jump, with the easy coverage other figures attract.
Babarinde told members the party already has plenty of policy ideas, but that a sharper diagnosis of the barriers holding people back and clearer communication are required. "The solution is exactly what is in the strategy we’re talking about this week," he said, signalling that the Brighton conference will be the forum for debating tactics and messaging ahead of the next electoral tests.
