Ed Davey: centrist dad with a difference

A newcomer to British politics at the start of the current election campaign might have taken one look at Ed Davey falling off his paddleboard into Lake Windermere and moved swiftly on. It looked like a parody of a photo-op. It’s worth another look in light of a video released by his campaign on Wednesday night. The LibDem leader is shown grinning from ear to ear and having his nose tweaked by his disabled 13 year-old son, John. He says he likes to be the one to get John up in the morning so they see each other even if he’s busy. Someone has to, because John can’t walk. Later in the video, Davey becomes emotional describing caring for his mother before she died aged 46. It’s calculated, yet moving and transparently authentic. It introduces care as a political issue and Davey as a real person. Its bonus effect is to re-introduce the paddleboard stunt – as a parody with a point. There’s sewage in a lake that’s supposed to be pristine (and Davey just might be the sleeper hit of the campaign).