What are the Lib Dems trying to achieve?

The Lib Dems' political brand offers stability: a dependable core of voters who see them as a safe alternative to the polarisation of the main parties and a strong ground game. Yet that stability also exposes their limits. Despite respectable polling and a foothold in Parliament, the party rarely shapes the national conversation on the issues that matter most.

Their strategy has leaned heavily on environmentalism, social care and defending liberal values against populist politics. These positions are safe and consistent, but they leave the party on the margins of the UK’s most urgent debates: how to deliver economic growth, reform a strained immigration system, and tackle widening intergenerational inequality.

This creates a paradox. By avoiding divisive territory, the party ensures it retains a loyal base and avoids damaging missteps. Yet this very caution limits their relevance, particularly when voters and media are focused on the trade-offs surrounding growth, taxation and migration. The result is visibility without influence. Reform UK, by contrast, has shown how a smaller party can punch above its weight: despite lacking a comprehensive policy portfolio, it has shifted the dial on issues like immigration and net zero through sharper, bolder messaging. The Lib Dems could draw lessons from this.

Conference may be the moment to test whether the Lib Dems can push beyond that risk-averse posture. Doing so could help them to begin the journey from being merely a “safe” vote to a party shaping national debate.