Lib Dems can counter extremes of Reform and Greens, Davey says

Party makes gains in Portsmouth and Richmond upon Thames in local elections but loses a Scottish stronghold

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Ed Davey has sought to cast Liberal Democrat wins in England’s local elections as proof his party is best positioned to confront what he described as the “extreme populist change” offered by Reform UK and the Greens.

As Labour assessed a disastrous set of results, the Lib Dems could claim they had been able to fend off Reform challenges in areas including Portsmouth, where they made gains to seize the city council, which had been under no overall control.