Ed Davey's kayak tips over – as Lib Dem leader tumbles into the water

Whoopsy Davey! Ed’s kayak tips over, sending Lib Dem leader tumbling into the water at Sandbanks… after he refused to rule out forming Lib-Lab coalition following the election

• Sir Ed Davey plunged into water ahead of his party’s conference in Bournemouth 

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey got a bigger splash than he bargained for when he went kayaking as his party’s annual conference got underway in Dorset today.

Sir Ed looked every bit the experienced rower as he got into the small boat in Sandbanks near Bournemouth alongside MP Wendy Chamberlain for a slick photo op.

But the temptation was too much for parliamentary candidate Josh Babarinde – who tipped over the kayak – plunging both MPs underwater.

Luckily, the Lib Dem leader saw the funny side as he clambered to his feet in the sea and began splashing with Mr Babarinde. 

As the footage was uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter, by BBC Politics reporter Jack Surfleet, users were quick to comment.

Ed Davey (right) and MP Wendy Chamberlain get a soaking as Lib Dem candidate Josh Babarinde (left) tips them both into the water

Sir Ed plunged into the water after prospective MP Josh Babarinde got up to some mischief

Sir Ed (centre) took to the water in a kayak at Sandbanks at the start of the Liberal Democrat conference season in Dorset

Luckily, the Lib Dem leader saw the funny side and laughed off the incident as he clambered to his feet in the sea and began splashing Mr Bararinde

READ MORE: LABOUR FURIOUSLY ACCUSES LIB DEMS OF HAVING ‘GONE FERAL’ IN BY-ELECTION OVER NADINE DORRIES’ OLD SEAT 

Ryan posted: ‘Into the dirty sea…’

Glynis Spencer wrote: ‘In a foot of water!’

Matt Knight added: ‘Worst “acting” I’ve ever seen.’

The incident comes as Sir Ed refused to rule out forming a coalition with Labour if the latter wins the next General Election.

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

In a BBC interview during the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth he claimed he had ‘fought the Conservatives all my life’, claiming he stood up to them while in Government. 

But he warned his predecessors had been ‘distracted from the task in hand’ by focusing on what they would do if there was a hung parliament.

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

‘We want to rejoin. We want, as part of it, to get back into the Single Market,’ the Telegraph reported her as saying.

‘We recognise that, in order to do that, we have to do stuff before, to get to that relationship. How do we talk about it in a way that doesn’t push people away, so where is that sweet spot?’

However, Sir Ed this morning told the BBC that rejoining was ‘currently not on the table’.

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

Knocking down the blue wall? This morning Sir Ed told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘There’s no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They’ve ruined our country.’

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

‘We want Britain to be at the heart of Europe but we’re also deeply realistic about what’s going to have to be done to enable us to improve our relations with Europe,’ he said.

This morning Sir Ed told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘There’s no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They’ve ruined our country.

‘I fought them in Government every day… at the moment I’m just focusing on removing Conservative MPs and electing as many Liberal Democrat MPs as we can.

‘That’s why we’re focusing on the NHS, focusing on the cost of living, focusing on the environment.’

Pressed on whether he would agree to a deal with Labour, he said: ‘I’ve worked with a lot of Liberal Democrat leaders and when they have focused on that question they have been distracted from the task in hand.’

His remarks came after Sir Keir last week called for a closer UK relationship with the EU if he takes power.

His remarks to a conference in Montreal about less ‘divergence’ from Brussels were seized on by the Tories, who said they went much further than he has previously been prepared to admit.

Cabinet ministers said the footage obtained by Sky News raised questions as to what Sir Keir thought was ‘the point’ of Brexit if Britain did not diverge. 

But speaking to broadcasters today an angry-looking Sir Keir stood by what he said, saying he would looked at possible sector-by-sector improvements to the deal when it comes up for discussion in 2025.

He told reporters in the City of London there was ‘no case for rejoining the EU, no case for the customs union or single market’ and laws would be ‘made in this country for the public interest’.

But he added: ‘That does not mean that a Labour government would lower standards on food or lower the rights that people have at work.

‘That’s been consistent Labour Party policy for years. Incidentally, that’s also Government policy.’

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