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How Ed Davey took over social media

Drumming exercise balls with pensioners, enjoying rollercoaster rides and playing a game of giant Jenga aren’t the go-to campaign trail activities we’re used to seeing from British politicians.

But Sir Ed Davey seems to be making his bid for the hearts of the nation as he launched the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto with an action-packed bang; and it’s already gone viral.

The party’s leader has become the object of countless memes on social media and became the unlikely new obsession of millennials and Gen Z online.

People who admit they weren’t initially planning to vote for the Lib Dems have been won over by the 58-year-old father-of-two.

‘Ed Davey is making it very hard not to like him right now,’ one wrote on X. ‘BBW, hugging a dog, surfing, waterslides, giant Jenga and a spot of gardening… he might be the most in touch with the public MP I’ve ever seen.’

Sir Ed Davey seems to be making his bid for the hearts of the nation as he launched the Liberal Democrats' manifesto with an action-packed bang - and it's already gone viral

Sir Ed Davey seems to be making his bid for the hearts of the nation as he launched the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto with an action-packed bang – and it’s already gone viral

Elsewhere another poster said that while Rishi Sunak was ‘losing the polls and press from every angle’, Ed Davey is ‘just out there having the best school summer holiday ever’.

Social media edits have also poked fun at the stunts, joking that the Lib Dem leader is now likely to arrive for press conferences with a gymnastics set, rollerblades or a complicated martial arts manoeuvre.

Betting company Ladbrokes has even set up a betting pool for what activities Ed Davey is likely to take part in before the General Election on July 4 – with options including riding a bucking bronco, bungee jumping or being fired out of a cannon.

‘I’m seriously tempted to vote @LibDems,’ another X post read. ‘(Never thought I’d say that after 2010) just because Ed Davey is a right laugh and is just loving life during this election.’

‘To be fair Ed is just doing stuff I want to do so very relatable,’ another added.

‘People thinking Rishi is trying to lose to have a long summer holiday but Ed Davey is just using the campaign as his summer holiday,’ one quipped.

Elsewhere a comment said: ‘Have to admit their campaign is genius.’ 

A viral X post from the Lib Dems today also branded Davey as having ‘golden retriever energy’ – and even dubbed him a ‘good boi’, sporting supportive comments and more than 1,400 likes. 

Meme account Insane Moments in British Politics shared clips of Davey belting out We Will Rock You on drums made from an exercise ball as part of a bizarre photo-op last week - which alone has 1.9 millions views on X

Meme account Insane Moments in British Politics shared clips of Davey belting out We Will Rock You on drums made from an exercise ball as part of a bizarre photo-op last week – which alone has 1.9 millions views on X 

The party's leader has become the object of countless memes on social media - and became the unlikely new obsession of millennials and Gen Z online

The party’s leader has become the object of countless memes on social media – and became the unlikely new obsession of millennials and Gen Z online

The flurry of new fans is not dissimilar to the 2015 election trail, when another Ed was on the scene - Ed Milliband. Pictured, a tweet praising Ed Davey

The flurry of new fans is not dissimilar to the 2015 election trail, when another Ed was on the scene – Ed Milliband. Pictured, a tweet praising Ed Davey

A viral X post from the Lib Dems today also branded Davey as having 'golden retriever energy' - and even dubbed him a 'good boi', sporting supportive comments and more than 1,400 likes

A viral X post from the Lib Dems today also branded Davey as having ‘golden retriever energy’ – and even dubbed him a ‘good boi’, sporting supportive comments and more than 1,400 likes

Meme account Insane Moments in British Politics shared clips of Davey belting out We Will Rock You on drums made from an exercise ball as part of a bizarre photo-op last week – which alone has 1.9 millions views on X.

The party leader took part in a DrumFit class at Abbotswood Court Care Village in Romsey, Hampshire as part of the Liberal Democrats’ campaign tour.

In footage, Sir Ed can be seen drumming along to the Queen hit while singing, ‘We will, we will rock you!’ with a huge smile on his face.

Meanwhile, clips of him doing interviews in variously whacky settings – including a teacup ride – have also already racked up thousands of likes online.

The flurry of new fans is not dissimilar to the 2015 election trail, when another Ed was on the scene – Ed Miliband. 

A teenage girl started the #Milifandom movement, which saw thousands of teens, mainly female, take to social media to praise the former Labour leader throughout his campaign.

Davey is yet to be receiving the same treatment, but has kicked off his campaign with a clear pivot towards young voters. Pictured: Davey playing crazy golf at Wokingham Family Golf on Saturday

Davey is yet to be receiving the same treatment, but has kicked off his campaign with a clear pivot towards young voters. Pictured: Davey playing crazy golf at Wokingham Family Golf on Saturday

The Liberal Democrats' manifesto vows to repair the UK's 'broken relationship with Europe' as part of a series of measures aimed at improving economic stability and providing growth

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto vows to repair the UK’s ‘broken relationship with Europe’ as part of a series of measures aimed at improving economic stability and providing growth 

The student, Abby Tomlinson, who described the ‘Milifandom’ as ‘a movement against the distorted media portrayal of Ed’, started the unlikely cult-following of Miliband in the run-up to the election. 

Abby’s appreciation campaign avalanched after she coined the hashtag and expression ‘Milifan’.  

In less than 24 hours, more than 20,000 posts appeared under the hashtag #Milifandom – ranging from photos of Miliband alongside descriptions such as ‘adorable and lovely’ to images of his face photoshopped into pictures of more conventional sex-symbols like James Bond film actor Daniel Craig.

Davey is yet to be receiving the same treatment, but has kicked off his campaign with a clear pivot towards young voters. 

The Liberal Democrats opened the door to US-style cannabis shops in Britain yesterday as the party launched an election manifesto that also seeks to get the UK back into the EU.

Betting company Ladbrokes has even set up a betting pool for what activities Ed Davey is likely to take part in before the General Election on July 4 - with options including riding a bucking bronco, bungee jumping or being fired out of a cannon

Betting company Ladbrokes has even set up a betting pool for what activities Ed Davey is likely to take part in before the General Election on July 4 – with options including riding a bucking bronco, bungee jumping or being fired out of a cannon

The Liberal Democrats leader flipping burgers in a back garden on the General Election campaign trail in Wiltshire

The Liberal Democrats leader flipping burgers in a back garden on the General Election campaign trail in Wiltshire

Davey pets Jenny, the Guide Dog belonging to parliamentary candidate for Torbay, on the campain trail

Davey pets Jenny, the Guide Dog belonging to parliamentary candidate for Torbay, on the campain trail

Under the party’s health plans it would seek to tackle the spread of high-strength ‘skunk’ via criminal gangs by allowing ‘licensed retailers’ to sell less-potent weed to over-18s.

It would also treat harder drug use as a medical rather than criminal matter, diverting those arrested for carrying small amounts for personal use into treatment rather than the court system.

Sir Ed Davey took time off from an election campaign billed by Lib Dem frontbencher Munira Wilson as an ‘adrenaline-fuelled extreme sports tour of the UK’ to launch the manifesto in London – before announcing he was off to ride a rollercoaster.  

He admitted the party’s ‘long-term’ goal was returning the UK to ‘the heart of Europe’ as he unveiled a programme of proposals that focusses on health and social care closer to home. 

Also among the proposals briefly mentioned were removing the requirement for medical reports before changing gender.

The 116-page manifesto – entitled For A Fair Deal – includes a £9.4 billion capital gains tax raid on banks and the super-rich to help fund free care in England.

But buried four pages from the end of the document was a pledge to start work on rejoining the EU Single Market – which includes freedom of movement for EU citizens.

Facing the cameras at the launch today Sir Ed said: ‘We are not going to pretend that this is going to be easy. The Conservative Party has so poisoned our relationships with our closest allies, it has undermined trust.’ 

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto vows to repair the UK’s ‘broken relationship with Europe’ as part of a series of measures aimed at improving economic stability and providing growth.