Published On: Wed, Jan 31st, 2024

Lib Dem support halves as Ed Davey sees fallout from role in Post Office scandal | Politics | News


A new poll has delivered a damning message for the Liberal Democrats following their leader being slammed over his role in the Post Office scandal.

Ipsos Mori asked 1,003 adults between the 17 and 23 January this year, and found a huge fall in support for the Liberal Democrats.

The party has plummeted from 13 percent support to just seven, down by six points since December.

Meanwhile Labour has risen eight points to 49 percent support, with the Tories on 27 percent down three points.

The poll also proves an outlier on Reform UK support, with Richard Tice’s party registering just four percent backing with the public.

The Lib Dem result is damning and suggests Sir Ed Davey’s involvement with the Post Office scandal has damaged his party’s standing.

Sir Ed served as minister for postal affairs in the coalition government from 2010 to 2012, and faced calls to resign after he said he “deeply regretted” failing to help the sub-postmasters wrong accused of stealing from their branch.

He received further criticism after a sub-postmaster in his own South London constituency revealed he tried three times to get in touch with Sir Ed, and “every time he was turned away, refused or ignored”.

Sir Ed was later accused of going missing in action from the Commons, after failing to turn up for a number of debates and PMQs sessions.

A sub-postmistress has now decided to stand against the Lib Dem leader in Kingston and Surbiton, pledging to “put honesty and integrity back into this election”.

The Lib Dems have subsequently said Sir Ed’s heart “goes out to the families caught up in this scandal and his focus is on getting justice and compensation for those impacted”.

“He bitterly regrets that the Post Office was not honest with him at the time and will fully cooperate with the inquiry to get to the bottom of what went wrong.”

A poll of Express readers was overwhelming, with 97 percent of respondents saying Sir Ed should resign.

Lee Anderson, former deputy chairman of the Tory Party, used PMQs to also demand Sir Ed’s resignation.

He pointed out that during the scandal, the Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey was the minister in charge of the Post Office.

He said: “This is the same Liberal Democrat leader who in the past has called for the resignation of over 30 prominent people in this country who have made mistakes in their jobs.

“So does the Prime Minister agree with me that the leader of the Lib Dems should take his own advice, and start by clearing his desk, clearing his diary and clear off?”



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