Minister Goes After Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey With Below The Belt Attack

Junior minister Torsten Bell joked about Ed Davey's appearance on Sunday.A junior minister has described the Liberal Democrat leader as a “fat bloke in a wetsuit”.Torsten Bell got personal when attacking Ed Davey in a speech at a Labour Party conference fringe event last night.The Treasury minister took aim at the Lib Dem MP’s appearance and his tendency to perform stunts while also hitting out at the rising popularity of Reform UK’sNigel Farage.He said: “What Britain needs to tackle Farage is a vision.“And the vision is not a fat bloke in a wetsuit – which is what the Lib Dems have to offer Britain in the 21st century.”The Lib Dems have been contacted for a response to Bell’s criticism.Davey has faced plenty of scrutiny – including from his own backbenchers – for repeatedly trying to take the spotlight with various gimmicks and performances.One Lib Dem MP told HuffPost UK they are “frustrated” and feel ignored by the party leadership as Davey continues to promote his stunts.Davey opened the Lib Dem conference earlier this month by performing in a marching band.He also attracted plenty of attention during last year’s election campaign when he donned a wetsuit for paddle boarding – and fell into the lake repeatedly.But Davey has defended the stunts, insisting they get people to engage and listen, and saying earlier this month that his party is “very serious”.He told PA news agency last week: “We’re very serious. We are the only party, for example, urging the government to stand up to Donald Trump.“We are the only party speaking of real, practical action to get peace in in Gaza.“We are the only party talking about the need for an economic coalition of the willing, including a new customs union with the EU to get our economy going again. So we put forward serious, practical policies.”Responding to criticism from his backbenchers, he said: “The truth is, I’m very fortunate: I lead the most united political party in Parliament today by a country mile.”He added: “We are very much united, and when it comes back to the stunts, not only do we have serious messages behind them, but the vast majority of our MPs ask can they be part of them.“So they know they’re effective.”Labour MP Torsten Bell calls Lib Dem Leader @EdwardJDavey a 'fat bloke in a wetsuit'The junior minister was speaking at a Labour Party conference event where he criticised the Lib Dem's vision for the UK pic.twitter.com/zZdwDX030P— ITVPolitics (@ITVNewsPolitics) September 28, 2025Related...Elon Musk Accused of Being A Criminal By Ed Davey For 'Allowing Online Harm To Children'Burnham Slams Starmer As Labour Splits Dominate First Day Of Party ConferenceAndy Burnham Hits Out At His Critics For 'Underestimating Peril Labour Is In'

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