Sir Ed Davey has been accused of being “obsessed” with Nigel Farage after mentioning the Reform UK leader more than 30 times during his keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat conference.

The Lib Dem leader “wasted a chance” to set out his party’s vision, instead using the address to attack a rival party.

Broadcaster Duncan Barkes told GB News the speech was a “huge missed opportunity”, warning that voters were still unclear what the Lib Dems actually stood for.

He said: “I’m still not clear what they actually stand for. I know what they’re against Nigel Farage. Big time.”

GB News host Dawn Neesom said: “There were even little Lego figurines of Nigel Farage on display. A collectible, sure, but it does make you wonder. And no, apparently, they’re not obsessed with him in any way, shape or form.

He responded: “Mr Davey mentioned Mr Farage up to 30 times yesterday. He accused Reform UK of wanting to turn Britain into ‘Trump’s America’, warning that the NHS would cease to exist under such a Government.

“Now, there is some old footage of Nigel Farage suggesting maybe it was time to look at an insurance-based system for healthcare.

“But that was several years ago, and politicians can change their minds. He has never flat-out said the NHS should be 100 per cent privatised.

“Then there was this business about gun laws. When I heard it, I wondered if I’d missed something, had Reform UK held a press conference calling for everyone to have a shotgun?

“Of course, they hadn’t. Mr Davey was dredging up another old Mr Farage comment, made after the Dunblane tragedy, when he suggested the tightening of gun laws might have gone too far. Again, that was one remark, years ago.

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“What I cannot understand is why Ed Davey spent his keynote speech on setting out a vision for the Liberal Democrats, talking almost entirely about a rival political party.

“We already know Labour are fearful of Reform because Keir Starmer keeps bringing up Mr Farage. We know it’s a problem for the Conservatives too.

“But after listening to and reading Mr Davey’s speech yesterday, I came away thinking: you’ve missed a huge opportunity.

“With 72 MPs, this was your chance to set out what you actually plan to do going forward. Instead, all you’ve told me is what you don’t like.”

Yesterday at the conference, Sir Davey vowed to lead the fight against Mr Farage, as he accused him of wanting to turn the UK into “Trump’s America” in a speech to the Liberal Democrat conference.

Painting a nightmarish vision of what he claimed life would be like under a Reform UK Government, he sought to portray the Lib Dems as the guardians of British values of “tolerance, decency, and respect”.

He argued that the Lib Dems had a “moral responsibility” to challenge Reform and urged his party to embrace patriotism to speak for “Britain’s decent silent majority”.