A viral video released by the Liberal Democrats as part of their election campaign has got everyone talking - and it could be the most human campaign video yet.
The clip in question shows party leader Ed Davey at home with his 16-year-old disabled son, John. The video opens with footage of Ed at home, talking about his daily life caring for John. ‘A lot depends on what carer help we’ve got but I’m always involved in John’s care,’ he says. ‘I like to be the one who gets John up in the morning so he sees me. I get him up because he can’t walk.’
In the emotional video, Davey also reflects on his own upbringing and caring for his terminally ill mother before she died age 46. He reveals he ‘spent hours talking to my mum on her bed’ and explained that she had considerations for his future. ‘ [She said] ‘I wonder who you’ll end up with?’ She was thinking about what would happen to me,’ he said. When asked if his mother would be proud of him, Davey appeared to tear up, saying ‘sorry, this is actually quite difficult at times. I’d like to think she’d be proud of me. I think she would be. I hope so.’
The video aims to highlight the work of carers, and to introduce Davey to voters who might not know much about him. As part of their 2024 election manifesto, The Liberal Democrats are pledging to introduce a new ‘carer’s minimum wage’ and a raise carer’s allowance to ensure that unpaid carers have more financial support. Davey captured this sentiment in the clip when he said ‘Seeing life through the eyes of my son, I could not be more passionate and determined to sort out caring in this country.’
The video quickly went viral, amassing more than four million views in less than 24 hours. Many people, including celebrities, have taken to social media to praise Davey for the openness and authenticity of the campaign. Ed Balls reshared the video on X and wrote ‘This is deeply moving and special and so important for the future of our country that we take seriously what Ed Davey says..’
Professor Alice Roberts also shared the post on X, writing ‘Politics can be so nasty and divisive. And politicians can be very wary about revealing too much about themselves. I don’t know @EdwardJDavey - but this is just lovely. We need more room for kindness in our society.’ Another user wrote on X ‘When so much of politics feels artificial or disingenuous, this feels real and surprisingly moving. A rarity in campaigns!’ Meanwhile, Hugh Grant, who campaigns for the Liberal Democrats, captioned the video on a post on X ‘Impressive.’
This is a move away from Davey’s previous election strategy, which has seen him undertake several stunts and become a bit of a meme sensation. Over the course of the past few weeks, he has fallen into Lake Windermere after trying out paddleboarding, cycled down a steep Welsh hill and hurtled down a giant slip n slide in an inflatable ring. But, as people on social media have pointed out, this clip offers a more human insight into the leader. Sue Perkins wrote on X ‘I found this incredibly affecting. Gave me a chance to see the man behind the stunts; someone who comes across as warm and gentle and sincere.’
When there’s so much attacking and divisiveness in political campaigns, the clip feels like a breath of fresh air. It can be hard to see politicians as human - often, they feel overly polished or too out of touch with the public to be making decisions about how we live our lives. But this video helps Davey to come across as genuine, authentic and perhaps not too dissimilar to the rest of us.
At a time when so much of politics is lacking compassion, surely this can only be a good thing. And yes, we shed a tear.
Keep up to date with all of Grazia’s election coverage by joining our WhatApp group here https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabK1KWCRs1ebOj4ie1d