Could Lib Dems become the biggest party in English local government?

I t has been an election buildup dominated by the rise of Reform UK and the Greens, and the contrasting woes of Labour and the Tories. But there is a chance that on 8 May the Liberal Democrats , largely ignored in recent weeks, could wake up as the biggest party in English local government. This is just one of several paradoxes for the party’s leader, Ed Davey , and his team. They are fifth in many national polls, with a rating barely changed from 2024. But Lib Dem bosses are sanguine, convinced that UK politics is now so different, so atomised, to make headline polling almost irrelevant. One senior Lib Dem said: “A lot of people seem to be misreading the way things are going. We think we have some of the answers.” In one sense, the ambitions are familiar. Barring an unexpected change of fortunes, the Lib Dems will increase their total number of councillors for an unprecedented eighth set of local elections in a row. The Lib Dems are running a programme of digital adverts, contrasting Ed Davey’s willingness to criticise Trump with Nigel Farage’s support for the US president. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA A particularly good night for the party, plus heavy losses for the Conservatives, could result in the Lib Dems overtaking Kemi Badenoch’s party. If Labour fared very badly, there is an outside chance this second place could become first. One party strategist said: “It’s not something we’re necessarily expecting this time – it’s more likely in a year or two. …