After launching his party’s general election manifesto, Sir Ed Davey jumped on a rollercoaster and rode a large swing.
Your goal: to show the Liberal Democrats are on a rollercoaster ride to win seats, with a big swing towards the Conservative party.
Mr Ed visit to Thorpe Parkin Surrey, it was just the latest in a gallery of crazy and often silly electoral maneuvers and photo opportunities that have earned him invaluable publicity.
In this election campaign he confirmed his status as king of photographic opportunities. Remind you of someone? Yes, he stole the title from Boris Johnson.
Being the third party in an election – or fourth, given that the Liberal Democrats won fewer seats than the SNP in 2019 – can be a frustrating experience.
Inevitably, it is the two big parties that dominate newspaper columns and radio and television airtime. Therefore, getting attention requires cunning and imagination.
And Sir Ed certainly showed just that. The result is that he and his party have not been squeezed or crushed by the Tory and Labor juggernauts in election coverage.
Sir Ed Davey going down a toboggan
To be fair, there were some serious messages as well.
His note-free speech at the manifesto launch was ingenious. And an election TV broadcast about caring for your disabled child was moving and powerful.
But it is for his eccentric stunts in this campaign that Sir Ed will probably be remembered.
He was doused in Lake Windermere, soaked in a water slideplayed a game of tennis and went on a bumpy bike ride.
He claims his stunts are not just for fun, but to make a political point. For example, he made noise at Lake Windermere to highlight his party’s campaign against sewage in the UK’s rivers, lakes and coasts.
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Falling off a paddle board into Lake Windermere. Photo: Reuters
We got a glimpse of Sir Ed’s clever stunts when the Liberal Democrats celebrated some of his spectacular election victories: tearing down a blue wall, firing a confetti cannon and driving a “Tory removal van”.
The Liberal Democrats are determined to tear down the “blue wall”. Photo: PA
Boris Johnson became the king of political exploits during his years as mayor of London, the 2016 Brexit campaign and his 2019 general election campaign.
Who can forget the farce of zip lining, kissing a giant fish, knocking down a wall and using boxing gloves to “get Brexit done”?
Boris Johnson leaves after driving a Union flag-themed JCB. Photo: PA
Boris Johnson hanging from a zipline. Photo: PA
But the crown has now passed to Sir Ed, although that other extroverted political activist, Nigel Farage, is in second place, after posing for photographs in a D-Day jeep last week.
Just don’t mention the milkshake.
The Battle for Number 10, a special event for UK election leaders, will air in Grimsby on Sky News on Wednesday.
Sir Ed, however, should be applauded not only for brightening up the campaign and making us laugh a lot, but also for using his often silly exploits to convey a serious political message. Good job!
And there are still 24 days for more stunts and photos before voting day.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
