<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0xnWG6_0vWDAnw400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0xnWG6_0vWDAnw400" width="1702" height="957" > PA Images <figcaption>Sir Ed Davey celebrates his party's result in the general election </figcaption></figure> The Liberal Democrats are heading into their party conference in a celebratory mood. July's general election result saw them win 72 seats, a record for the party. In London, the party doubled its representation from three to six MPs. But as all their London MPs are located in the capital's south west, how will they make their mark across the Labour-dominated city? <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Party leader Sir Ed Davey seemed to enjoy the summer election campaign. Paddle boarding, bungee jumping and surfing were some of the stunts he embarked on to get voters' attention. It worked. His antics generated the sort of coverage vital for the small political parties wanting to break the media dominance of Labour and the Conservatives. This translated into votes with Wimbledon, Carshalton and Wallington, Sutton and Cheam, Richmond Park, Twickenham and Kingston and Surbiton areas now all being represented by Lib Dem MPs. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2JEjXf_0vWDAnw400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2JEjXf_0vWDAnw400" width="541" height="303" > BBC <figcaption>The Lib Dems cover south-west London while the Tories hold seats in the outer boroughs in an otherwise Labour-dominated city </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Davey says the party has an increased mandate from voters, though the party’s strength in south-west London may not be enough to speak for a city still dominated by Labour. In an interview with BBC London ahead of this weekend's conference, Davey hailed the “double strength of Liberal Democrats” in the capital and pledged to continue to raise the issues from the campaign from the opposition benches. He said the three new MPs - representing Carshalton and Wallington, Wimbledon, and Sutton and Cheam - would be "local champions for their constituencies". Davey, who is himself a London MP having retained the seat for Kingston and Surbiton, said voters “put their trust in those Liberal Democrat MPs over things like the health service and care, cost of living". <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=43hpEL_0vWDAnw400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=43hpEL_0vWDAnw400" width="1434" height="807" > PA Media <figcaption>Election stunts: Davey falls into the water while paddle-boarding on Lake Windermere </figcaption></figure> But he rejects the suggestion they are effectively a "regional" party within London. "I think you'll see this new double strength of Liberal Democrats in London, coming together and being a voice for the whole of the capital actually, not just their own constituencies, not just south-west London, but I think Londoners will hear a much stronger Liberal Democrat voice," he said. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> “Together I think people will now hear across the capital the Liberal Democrat priorities on health, on care, on getting our streets safer with the challenge of getting more police on the street.” He also pledged that the Lib Demos would be a “constructive opposition”. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=14BeQs_0vWDAnw400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=14BeQs_0vWDAnw400" width="1593" height="896" > PA Media <figcaption>At the general election Ed Davey won Kingston and Surbiton with a majority of more than 17,000 </figcaption></figure> Away from party politics, Grenfell Tower tragedy has cast a shadow over London for more than seven years, with residents in high rises across the capital living with uncertainty over unsafe cladding. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Now the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c049yvrd5qxo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> final report has been issued </a> , Davey reflects that the fire and its aftermath “is still is a scar on the state and the Inquiry recommendations have to be implemented as soon as possible". He says: “I would actually support there being a timetable for the implementation of those recommendations. "I understand the government needs to reflect on some of them, but whether it's doing the cladding for example, that's been known about for a long, long, time and very little progress was made nowhere near enough under the last government. “We think the government needs to get cracking on that. "Now we've got the Inquiry's recommendations, I hope people can come together and make sure that it is implemented very quickly.” <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/curation/p0cjdwm5?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Sounds </a> and follow BBC London on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCLondon" rel="nofollow"> Facebook </a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCLondonNews" rel="nofollow"> X </a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bbclondon/?hl=en" rel="nofollow"> Instagram </a> . Send your story ideas to <a href="mailto:hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk" rel="nofollow"> hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk </a><h2> More on this story </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjqexq55qyzo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Stunts and substance saw Lib Dems win in Tory heartlands </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cnk4xz1eevlt?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Corbyn holds seat as Labour and Lib Dems make London gains from Tories </a></li></ul><h2> Related internet links </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.libdems.org.uk/" rel="nofollow"> Liberal Democrats </a></li></ul></div></body>

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Davey hails London’s ‘double strength’ Lib Dems

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey on the party's election success in London ahead of the party's conference.

Davey hails London’s ‘double strength’ Lib Dems

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