Ed Davey says 'don't take yourself too seriously' as Liberal Democrat stunts enliven election campaign

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey on Tuesday defended his many campaign stunts as a way of underlining serious political points, including a new promise to deliver free personal care for people either at their own house or in care homes.

Sir Ed, whose son is disabled, said the “deeply personal” policy vow would cost £3.7 billion including a pledge of higher wages for carers - paid for by ending Conservative tax breaks for banks and by savings generated from reducing pressure on hospitals.

The Lib Dem leader, who in this campaign has fallen off a paddleboard on Windermere and freewheeled a bicycle down a hill in Wales, revealed that his staff only tell him about their attention-grabbing plans a few hours beforehand.

“But we are having fun,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “What I believe is you need to take the concerns of voters really seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun while you engage the people and get over your ideas.”

Not to be undone, Sir Ed’s deputy Daisy Cooper and a boatload of Lib Dem campaigners photo-bombed Rishi Sunak during a campaign stop in Henley on Monday.

The Lib Dem plan would make day-to-day care for adults in need, including the elderly and disabled, free in England, as it is already in Scotland.

“As a carer for my disabled son, and after caring for my ill mother when I was young, care is deeply personal for me,” Sir Ed said, although he faced criticism that the costs could be billions more than Lib Dem calculations.