In conversation with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey says they are "the real party of patriotic change"

Over the next few weeks, BBC South's political editor Peter Henley is speaking with party leaders, or deputy leaders, ahead of this autumn's party conferences.

They will discuss some of the key issues facing the south of England and explain what they plan to do.

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has shared his party's vision.

BBC South's political editor Peter Henley spoke to Davey ahead of this autumn's party conferences

PH: "Your strength is in local government in the south of England but is there a sense in which you offer different things in different places? In Oxfordshire there's a big crackdown on traffic, in Portsmouth there's lots of investment in businesses and when those councils come to merge it's actually going to be difficult for those Lib Dem councils working together."

ED: "Well we have some real concerns about the local government reorganisation forced on people by Labour and it could create problems, however it is right that we represent the communities in the way we do. Issues differ from place to place, that's natural isn't it? And so it's quite right that in some areas you're focussing on traffic and others on business, it can vary.

"What I'm really excited about though is how Liberal Democrats are doing really well in local government. There's some fights ahead of us, mainly with Reform actually, increasingly across the south, as the Conservative party is increasingly weak. It's only the Liberal Democrats that can stand up to Reform and we're really up for that because we're the real party of patriotic change."

PH: "Patriotic? Now that's not a word we've heard from Liberal Democrats a lot in the past."

ED: "No, we've said it a lot of times.

"I mean what we're seeing with Nigel Farage is he's cosying up to Donald Trump, he thinks Vladimir Putin is the world leader he most admires. I think Reform's agenda is a very Trumpian America agenda, where people end up paying for healthcare, there will be a lot of fracking in our lovely countryside.

"Liberal Democrats are offering change that would really fix the problems that people face in healthcare, in the cost of living, so I'm happy for that debate between the Liberal Democrats and Reform. I think our values are closer to traditional British values."

PH: "Your values are often to say yes to things, to say yes we'll spend more on this, whereas Reform are offering to cut waste.

"Take where you're having the conference, Bournemouth, where the merger of three councils was projected to save £50m. It's only saved half that in £25m. Mergers are not such a good idea."

ED: "No, I agree with you, that was a Conservative merger."

PH: "One that was implemented by a Liberal Democrat council."

ED: "Well, I'm afraid if the Conservative government tells the local authorities they have to get together, we have to try to do their bidding but we warned at the time that we didn't think it would save money and it would make government more remote from local people."

PH: "So why don't you fight the mergers in Hampshire, which are causing all sorts of concerns?"

ED: "Well, we have real concerns about the whole agenda of Labour on local government reform, but you have to do what the national government says, unfortunately.

"We'd like to get rid of this national government. Liberal Democrats are the one party actually polling well in local elections, compared to the Conservatives and Labour and I think we've built on our historic success at the last general election.

"We can be real challengers in the elections ahead and we can actually stop Reform and their dangerous and unpatriotic approach to governing the country."

PH: "You're saying patriotism again, that feels like a change to me.

"When you were actually in government, your big thing was net zero. Are you going to change on that as well?"

ED: "Well, no because we can deliver lower energy bills through our policies of renewables and insulating people's homes.

"What Nigel Farage wants to do, is make our country more dependent on Russian gas. He likes Vladimir Putin, and he wants to frack across our countryside and gas can really end up putting up people's bills.

"So what we're seeing with Nigel Farage is a pro-Russia, pro-fracking, pro-higher bills energy policy."

PH: "And you would save us money?"

ED: "Absolutely. We have a plan that over the next 10 years we would halve people's energy bills. If we can get more gas off the system, then cheaper renewables, more popular cheaper renewables, would follow through to people's bills and bills would be reduced."