Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey channelled the circus for the now regular by-election victory PR stunt as he demanded a general election to remove the Conservatives from government.
He pretended to light a circus cannon adorned with the slogan “Get these clowns out of No 10” as yellow confetti was sprayed across dozens of Liberal Democrat supporters who had gathered to celebrate Sarah Dyke’s victory in the Somerton and Frome by-election.
Sir Ed described the gain as “nothing short of spectacular” and said the Lib Dems were now winning in their former heartlands, saying his party was “back in the West Country”.
Addressing an election rally in Frome town centre, Sir Ed said: “I’ve spoken to a lot of people in this by-election and people across the country.
“People are angry, they are angry that while they work hard to make ends meet, angry while they are trying to get a GP appointment or a dentist for their child, the Conservatives are so out of touch they have not even noticed.
“They are fed up of these Conservative clowns with their political circus not helping people and that’s why thousands of lifelong Conservatives are switching to the Liberal Democrats and why thousands of life-long Labour voters lent us their support to beat the Conservatives.”
He added: “I think it is why people from all backgrounds, all walks of life are turning to the Liberal Democrats.
“They see that we are listening to them, and we are fighting for a fair deal for them.
“Last night the people of Somerton and Frome spoke for the whole country and sent a powerful message to this appalling Conservative Government.
“Ringmaster Rishi is out ideas, out of touch and out of excuses. It is time for his shameful spectacle to end. It is time for a general election to end this Conservative circus.
“It is time to get these clowns out of No 10.”
Among those attending the rally were Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord, who won the Tiverton and Honiton by-election last year, and Lady Jane Ashdown, the widow of former leader Paddy Ashdown.
Speaking after the rally, Sir Ed said the Liberal Democrats had opened up a “second front” in the West Country.
“Previously I have been talking about the Blue Wall in places like the true-blue heartlands in the Home Counties where it is the Liberal Democrats really challenging the Conservatives,” he said.
“Now we have a second front in the West Country – our traditional heartlands – and that means we are force to be reckoned with at the next general election.”
Sir Ed refused to estimate how many seats his party would win at the general election or whether they would beat their performance at the 1997 and 2005 elections.
“I am not going to get drawn into speculation in terms of numbers as that’s what the Conservatives are doing – taking voters for granted,” he said.
“We are going to keep working and not get carried away and focus on listening to people and show that we have ideas, policies and values that talk to them.”
He also refuted any claims the Liberal Democrats and Labour had any formal or informal electoral pacts.
“There’s no pact, there’s no deal, there hasn’t been and there won’t be,” he said.
“It’s the voters that are getting quite savvy and voters are saying they don’t want the Conservatives and they can see who is more likely to win out of the opposition parties.
“In the Blue Wall and across the West Country it is the Liberal Democrats who are the ones who can beat the Conservatives.”
