We're days away from going to the polls, and whilst Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are the big names dominating the headlines, we can't forget about Daisy Cooper - Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dem politician – who helped to steal Rishi’s thunder by photobombing him on a passing speed boat brandishing Liberal Democrat placards while he was speaking to voters on dry land – will be vying against Conservatives’ Penny Mordaunt, Labour’s Angela Rayner and Green Party’s Carla Denyer as well as Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, Stephen Flynn from the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Keep up to date with all of Grazia’s election coverage by joining our WhatApp group here https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabK1KWCRs1ebOj4ie1d
Ahead of that momentous moment, here’s everything you need to know about Daisy.
Who is Daisy Cooper?
In addition to being the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats to Ed Davey, Daisy, 42, is the party’s spokesperson for health, wellbeing and social care. She was previously the digital, culture, media and sport spokesperson and education spokesperson for the party. While Parliament is dissolved, she’s back to being the Lib Dem candidate for St Albans, helping constituents with their issues.
‘St Albans is my home and when I was elected I said I would always put St Albans first – and I have,’ she said. ‘I’m so proud of my small team. Together, we’ve now helped local residents with more than 35,000 personal and political queries.’ She added, ‘I came into politics because I wanted to make a difference.’
Daisy won the seat in 2019, becoming the first ‘Liberal’ to hold the position in over 100 years since 1904, ending years of Tory dominance, as she unseated the previous Conservative MP Anne Main, who had held the role for nine years.
Daisy positions herself as a 'new-era MP and Westminster outsider,' she spends her spare time playing the piano and enjoying a range of music, from Sergei Rachmaninoff to Basement Jaxx.
Is Daisy Cooper married?
Daisy is married to husband Rob, who works as a data scientist and prefers to keep a low profile. ‘My job is so consuming. We try and have a date night at least once every fortnight,’ the MP said. ‘That can either just be a takeaway or a meal at home, or going out somewhere for a few drinks, just to make sure that we always have time for us.’ The couple live together with their two cats.
Where did Daisy Cooper study?
Privately educated Daisy studied Law at Leeds University and gained a Master of Laws degree in public international law from Nottingham University. Before becoming involved in politics, she had a background in charity – she worked in Commonwealth affairs for ten years, campaigning for LGBT+ rights abroad and against human rights violations in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. She also worked with victims of press abuse at the Hugh Grant-led press regulation campaign group Hacked Off.
What does Daisy Cooper care about?
Not only is she passionate about her home St Albans, she’s a fierce supporter for local pubs and businesses. She’s campaigned for fairer energy prices for pubs, restaurants and hospitality businesses, winning her the Pub Parliamentarian of the Year award by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beer.
As the party’s spokesperson for health, wellbeing and social care, she’s hoping to help reform the country’s health and social care system. An advocate for free personal care, the party has announced a £5 billion-a-year plan to provide free carers and social care workers. ‘We need only look at the current inequalities in our health and care system to know that what we are doing at the moment is not working,’ she said. ‘The Lib Dems are committed to making sure that social care is a big issue in the election.’
The Lib Dems also have a commitment to scrap the two-child benefit limit, a policy that Labour have said previously said they can't afford. They've also issued a demand to 'rescue' the NHS, with the party's plans to be funded by 'the billionaires and the big banks' via increased capital tax gains for the wealthiest and by reversing bank tax cuts under Conservative governments.
The Lib Dems have also avoided making Brexit a central point of their campaign, with Daisy saying the decision has come 'because people's everyday lives are in crisis.'
In a recent interview with The Times, Daisy said that a 'good' result for her party will be to replace Scotland's SNP as the UK's 'third party in parliament.'
What has Daisy Cooper said about the other parties?
When it comes to her opinion, Daisy has been open about her thoughts on opposing party leaders.
She'd dubbed Conservative Prime Minster Rishi Sunak as 'woefully out of touch' during a recent interview, before saying Labour's Keir Starmer is a 'very serious man.'