Ed Davey tells new Lib Dem MPs to cling on like Japanese knotweed in ex-Tory seats won at the election - as his deputy blasts weird Conservative leadership hopefuls

Sir Ed Davey has told his new cohort of Liberal Democrat MPs to become the political equivalent of Japanese knotweed in former Tory seats they won at the election.

The party leader privately told the new faces who joined his ranks in July to become almost impossible to remove - like the hated invasive shrub - from areas of mainly southern England where they displaced Conservative MPs for the first time.

The Lib Dems are holding their annual conference in Brighton this weekend in a jubilant mood after their best election result ever. Sir Ed now leads a group of 72 MPs, up from 11 in 2019.

He and other senior Liberal Democrats have pledged to hold the new Labour government to account as a constructive opposition.

But his instruction to the MPs shows how much of the focus will be on the Tories, despite them being in disarray and much depleted in numbers, because they pose the larger electoral risk to the party.

Last night Sir Eds deputy, Daisy Cooper, said the Tory leadership candidates were weird ... [they] talk about issues that are not relevant to most people in the country.

The party leader privately told the new faces who joined his ranks in July to become almost impossible to remove - like the hated invasive shrub - from areas of mainly southern England where they displaced Conservative MPs.

Last night Sir Eds deputy, Daisy Cooper, said the Tory leadership candidates were weird ... [they] talk about issues that are not relevant to most people in the country.

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats has said she is pretty sure the party will keep going with stunts if they continue to help deliver policy messages.

Daisy Cooper told reporters at the partys annual conference in Brighton that she believed stunts show that you can do politics with some hope.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey became known during the general election campaign for stunts including bungee jumping and paddleboarding.

He would take part in the activities when announcing policy plans, often with other Lib Dem MPs or candidates.

Ms Cooper told reporters on Sunday that most of our stunts come with a very serious message and thought they would continue going forward.

But the party hopes to build on its policy platform from the election, which focused on NHS and care reform, the cost-of-living crisis and sewage problems across the UK.

Sir Ed Davey has said that fixing the GP crisis is critical and is campaigning for everyone to have the right to see a GP within seven days.

Health and social care has been a much-discussed topic by the party leader in Brighton this weekend, as their autumn conference has continued.

According to the Lib Dems, NHS data suggests that in the seven months to July 2024 there were 10.3 million waits of four weeks or longer for GP appointment.

This is higher than the 8.6 million four-week waits that had been recorded by the same time last year when there was a record of 17.6 million four-week waits by the end of the year.

Ms Cooper, who is also the partys health spokeswoman, will discuss the NHS in her keynote speech to the conference on Monday morning, and tell conference attendees that you dont have freedom, if youre on a waiting list so long that your world shrinks and youre stuck hobbling at home between a couple of rooms..