Ed Davey’s winning campaign

It is fair to say that few people are having a fun election. There have been some funny moments, but the lack of suspense has meant that the usual tension just hasn’t been there. As I described it in a piece in this newspaper late last year, it has felt a bit like going to watch a whodunnit in the cinema while already knowing who the killer is going to be.

There may be some good or shocking moments but, overall, no-one is sitting on the edge of their seats. Thank god, then, for the Liberal Democrats, who have been doing their best to liven up the proceedings.

Not usually known for being a daredevil, leader Sir Ed Davey has nevertheless spent the past few weeks bodyboarding, cycling, paddle-boarding and generally doing anything a seven-year-old would ask for on their perfect holiday. It’s been a riot to witness.

It also made the party’s latest political broadcast even more of a gut punch than it would normally have been. If you haven’t watched it yet, you really should. Not much happens in it: for the most part, Davey talks about himself, his family, and his upbringing.

What makes it especially poignant is that Davey’s story isn’t an especially happy one. Both his parents died when he was young, and he was a carer to his mother before she passed away. He was then brought up by his grandmother, who he ended up caring for as she neared death.

His 16-year-old son, John, has severe learning and physical disabilities, meaning that he requires round-the-clock care. Most of it is provided by Davey and his wife. Still, there is a glint in his eye when he talks about it all, and his smile is warm. You don’t have to agree with his policy stances or plan to vote for the Lib Dems to see it: he is an endearing, profoundly human man.

It is not yet clear whether this candid, highly personal approach will be a winner on July 4 but, even if it doesn’t work, the party’s campaign should be remembered fondly. If nothing else, it has really brought home the extent to which the two main party leaders just don’t do this stuff well.

Rishi Sunak’s life has been charmed for long enough that he cannot even appear to be even vaguely relatable to anyone normal. Keir Starmer ought to be doing better but, for whatever reason, he often appears stilted and uncomfortable when discussing personal matters. It isn’t exactly his fault, but he is hardly a compelling character.

That doesn’t mean he won’t make a good prime minister, of course, but it is nice to occasionally remember that politicians can be appreciated for the people they are. It isn’t something we’ve had in a long time: Liz Truss was too odd for her own good, Jeremy Corbyn’s politics overshadowed any personal traits he may have had, and, well, the less is said about Boris Johnson, the better.

Theresa May’s “daughter of a vicar, running through fields of wheat” shtick was endearing, sometimes, but she was never really given the space to be vulnerable. Similarly, Ed Miliband’s dorky awkwardness, though now part of his charm, was only ever seen as a downside when he was leader.

It is possible that only a party that is not Labour or Conservative could run a campaign like Davey’s. There is, let’s face it, no world in which he will become prime minister, and so there will always be less weight on his shoulders. All he needs to achieve is to be likable and, perhaps most importantly, memorable. The stakes just aren’t as high.

Then again, maybe that’s the way things are meant to be. Starmer and Sunak will repeat focus-grouped line after focus-grouped line, panicking that if they put a foot wrong they will lose their way. The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, can inject some much-needed humanity into the campaign instead, reminding us that not everything must be shiny and neat and pre-approved. There are definitely worse things to be.

All that remains is to issue one quick word of caution: Ed Davey, if you’re reading, try not to catch pneumonia or break all your bones before polling day, will you?