With the LibDems’ mostly-virtual conference kicking off this weekend, Ed Davey is laying the groundwork for what promises to be an agenda-setting barnstormer of a speech on Sunday. Speaking to the FT today, Davey vowed that the party would never enter a coalition with the Tories under his leadership. On the contrary, their shock by-election win in Chesham and Amersham proves they could become a “significant force” in British politics and they pose a “big threat” to the Tories in the southern ‘blue wall’. Given he’s already ruled out alliances with Labour or the Greens, presumably this means Ed Davey actually has his sights set on Number 10. Jo Swinson Ed Davey: Britain’s next Prime Minister? Aim for the moon…

Davey also promised to build on the results seen in Chesham and Amersham by chasing the votes of “liberal Conservatives” who’re “unhappy about the foreign aid cuts” and Boris’s “style of government“. Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning, Davey explained his novel idea for attracting these kinds of voters:

“We will borrow more for capital investment like housing, but when it comes to spending on wages, we would raise taxes.”

Higher borrowing and higher taxes. That’ll get wealthy, middle class blue wall voters flocking to the LibDems…