The usually reserved Liberal Democrats took a bold and colorful turn at their annual autumn conference in Bournemouth on September 20, 2025. Former party leader Tim Farron, never shy about his football loyalties, draped himself in a Blackburn Rovers 'Pride of Lancashire' flag and delivered a rousing call for party members to reclaim the concept of patriotism from the political right. The scene was anything but subdued: confetti cannons burst overhead, the brass notes of 'Land of Hope and Glory' filled the hall, and a giant union jack dominated the backdrop. The message was clear—this year, the Lib Dems were determined to plant their flag, quite literally, in the national conversation about British identity.
"We will not have our history, our heritage, and our home stolen by the poison of nationalism," Farron declared to a hall packed with activists, according to BBC News. He urged his party to "stop being so flaming squeamish and English" about national symbols and to take pride in the British flag and the flags of the UK's four nations. "They are ours. They belong to all of us. Let's take them back. Let's wave them with pride," he continued, drawing enthusiastic applause and a sea of fluttering mini flags from the audience. As he wrapped up, Farron hoisted his flag overhead, emblazoned with the slogans "Pride of Lancashire" and "Rovers til I Die," underscoring both his regional roots and the party's new embrace of patriotic imagery.
This dramatic display marked a notable shift for the Liberal Democrats, a party more often associated with policy wonkery and quiet moderation than with pageantry. But as the political winds shift in the UK, the Lib Dems are eager to challenge the narrative that patriotism belongs exclusively to the right. The party's MPs have made it clear: they want to reclaim the symbols and language of national pride from figures like Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whom they have dubbed a "plastic patriot." In a cheeky twist, the party distributed a Lego-style figure of Farage, labeled "plastic patriot," to journalists attending the conference—a bit of political theater aimed at reinforcing their message.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey kept the spectacle rolling. He arrived at the conference at the head of a marching band, baton in hand, as a Union Jack fluttered beside him. The band, fresh off the ferry from the Isle of Wight, played 'Sweet Caroline'—a staple among England football fans—as they paraded through Bournemouth Central Gardens and stopped in front of the conference center. According to BBC News, the crowd of activists greeted Davey with cheers and a flurry of flags, mirroring the energy inside the hall. The party's embrace of national symbols, from the Cross of St George to the Union flag, was on full display, signaling a willingness to engage in the broader debate about what it means to be British today.
Yet, as The Independent observed, the party's embrace of pageantry has not been without its critics. The stunts—eye-catching as they are—have drawn skepticism from some quarters. The Independent described Davey's entrance as "an eye-catching but ultimately vacuous video-opportunity," questioning whether such displays truly signal "pride in one's liberal country" or simply serve as a distraction from a conference light on major policy announcements. The combination of Lib Dem orange and a marching band, the paper noted, might even evoke memories of the more combative unionist parades in Northern Ireland for some viewers.
Of course, this isn't the first time Sir Ed Davey has leaned into spectacle to capture public attention. During the 2024 election campaign, he was seen paddle boarding, bungee-jumping, and generally defying the image of a stuffy politician. These stunts, intended to highlight issues like sewage pollution, also helped humanize Davey and the party. The results were impressive: the Liberal Democrats won 72 seats, their best performance since Charles Kennedy's heyday in 2005, and a dramatic comeback from the mere eight seats they held after the 2015 election. According to The Independent, this success was widely seen as a vindication of Davey's strategy to avoid reopening the Brexit debate and instead focus on social care, environmental issues, and presenting a "bland alternative" to the two main parties—a formula that resonated with voters in the south and east of England.
Now, as the party looks ahead to the next general election, there is debate within Lib Dem ranks about how best to build on that momentum. Some advisers advocate sticking to the winning formula: keep the focus on social care, sewage, and a moderate, friendly image, while waiting for disillusioned Labour voters to drift their way. Others push for a more targeted approach, particularly to attract Labour defectors, and point to Davey's recent moves as evidence of this shift. Notably, Davey has adopted a sharper tone against former U.S. President Donald Trump—he even declined the King's invitation to the state banquet for Trump—and has taken a more outspoken pro-Palestinian stance, using the term "genocide" to describe Israeli government policy. The Independent suggests these positions are calculated to appeal to Labour voters who are dissatisfied with their own party's direction.
But the paper also cautions that such overt positioning risks appearing opportunistic, especially given the likelihood that neither Trump nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in power by the time of the next UK election. Instead, The Independent argues, the Lib Dems should focus on areas where they could exert real influence in a hung parliament—issues like EU integration, immigration, and equal rights. "Social care and sewage are important, but they should not be the limit of Lib Dem ambition," the editorial states, urging the party to articulate a more robust policy agenda as the conference continues.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the conference reflected the nation's ongoing divisions over identity and belonging. A group styling themselves as the "Bournemouth Patriots" staged a protest outside a hotel housing migrants, waving national flags and drawing a counter-protest from local activists. The incident underscored the high stakes of the patriotism debate and the tensions that can arise when national symbols become political battlegrounds.
Inside the conference, however, the mood was one of unity and optimism. Sir Ed Davey told reporters, "The vast majority of people who've got decent values, respect for the rule of law, tolerance, who love our country like the Liberal Democrats do... They want to see a party that is true to British values but will change our country." As the Lib Dems waved their flags and belted out anthems, they signaled their determination to redefine what it means to be patriotic in modern Britain—one confetti cannon blast at a time.
Whether this strategy will yield electoral dividends or merely provide memorable photo ops remains to be seen. But for now, the Liberal Democrats have made it clear: they are ready to compete for the soul of British patriotism, and they're not afraid to make a little noise along the way.
