Ed Davey attacks Reform and Nigel Farage as he pushes for emergency measures to clear asylum backlog

Sir Ed Davey kicked off the Lib Dem conference by attacking Reform and Nigel Farage as he pushed for emergency measures to clear the asylum backlog in a "humane" way.

The Lib Dem leader, on the first day of his party's conference in Bournemouth, launched into their new tactic of criticising Reform with renewed vigour after a summer of Mr Farage holding headline-grabbing news conferences.

He accused the Reform leader of not being a patriot after Mr Farage denigrated the UK during a speech in the US. Sir Ed also put the Lib Dems forward as the party that is "true to British values".

He said asylum hotels could close within six months by setting up emergency processing centres modelled on the large-scale temporary Nightingale hospitals used during COVID.

Under the plan, they would use the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to allow the government additional powers to secure the funds to hire and train more asylum case workers to tackle the backlog.

MP Lisa Smart, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, said it would only take "weeks" to train up more case workers but training was key to ensure the right decisions were made and appeals could not be made, which would increase the backlog.

Sir Ed told Sky News: "We think you can stop the boats, deal with illegal immigration and close down the asylum hotels, but do it in a way that's still humane.

"Our proposal is really well thought through, far more ambitious, far greater scale than we've seen from either Conservatives or Labour. And it would really show that Farage, for what he is, he's not offering real solutions."

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And after telling Sky News earlier in the week we need to "stop the boats" - a hardening of Lib Dem language - he said: "If people have no right to be here, they should be deported.

"We just need to get on with the job. There are people there who deserve to be welcomed into our country, who are genuine asylum seekers, genuine refugees, and it's been the British tradition to welcome people who genuinely are refugees. So I think you can do both."

Ms Smart also took a strong line on flags in reaction to people hanging them all around the country in response to asylum hotels.

She said she was "relaxed" about people flying a flag, adding: "I'm not concerned about some of the motivations behind people plastering them in front of an asylum hotel.

"I don't think flying the flag means anything."

While the Lib Dems may have changed their tone on immigration, they showed their signature style is still there, with Sir Ed arriving at conference leading a marching band that played classics such as Sweet Caroline and Crocodile Rock.

(c) Sky News 2025: Ed Davey attacks Reform and Nigel Farage as he pushes for emergency measures to clear asy