'Like finding a new family': young former Tories explore the Lib Dems

A group of young former members of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom have left and joined the Liberal Democrats. They say their old party has moved too far to the right, leaving moderate members behind. The switches happened as the Lib Dems held their yearly conference in the coastal city of Brighton, England.

One of the defectors is Cody Butler, who is 21 years old. He used to be a Tory activist and ran a group called the One Nation Conservative Network. He left the Conservative Party in July and joined the Lib Dems just one week before the conference. Walking around the event with a Liberal Democrats tote bag, he admitted the experience felt odd, but also exciting. 'There is no easy way to describe joining a new political party, because it's like finding a new family,' Butler said.

Butler is not alone. Josh Bancroft, a 26-year-old former Conservative councillor from Cannock Chase, also made the switch earlier this month. He says the party changed while his own beliefs stayed the same. 'Moderates like me have been forced out of the big tent over the past few years,' Bancroft said. Together, Butler and Bancroft are helping to start a new group called the One Nation Liberals within the Lib Dems.

Both men say the Conservative Party became less welcoming after leader Kemi Badenoch took a harder stance on several issues. In July, Badenoch warned that any Conservative who supported net zero climate targets or human rights rules from Europe would be blocked from running as a candidate in the next election. Two well-known former ministers, Gavin Barwell and Grant Shapps, were pushed out as a result. Bancroft said this pushed many moderate Conservatives away. 'The Conservatives have taken leaps to the right and left me and millions of voters behind,' he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey welcomed the new members and used the conference to take aim at Badenoch. He said his party takes climate change seriously, unlike Badenoch, who he accused of downplaying the dangers of summer heatwaves. One Lib Dem MP even joked that Badenoch had become their party's most effective recruiter. Davey repeated her name several times during a question-and-answer session on the first day of the event.

The Liberal Democrats are feeling more confident these days. They won 72 seats in the last general election, making them the biggest third party in British politics in over 100 years. Of the 27 seats where they came second in 2024, 20 were held by Conservatives, making those top targets for the future. Even though the party sits at around 11% in national polls, many members are talking boldly about winning even more seats in the next election.

When asked if winning 100 seats was the goal, Davey said there was 'no ceiling' on what his party could achieve. He ruled out any deal with the Conservatives, but left the door open when it came to Labour. He said having more Lib Dem MPs would give his party more power in any future negotiations. 'That means you have to box really smartly,' he said.

Butler believes the shift in British politics makes joining the Lib Dems a smart move for other moderate Conservatives. He pointed out that Britain now has five major parties, which means power does not have to flow only through the Conservatives or Labour. He urged other One Nation Conservatives to consider backing the Lib Dems. 'You can be true to what you believe, and if you back the Liberal Democrats, you're actually backing the future kingmakers of government,' he said.