Daisy Cooper unveiled a 30‑page Lib Dem growth plan in Brighton aimed at cutting bureaucracy and keeping start‑ups and research in the UK. Key proposals include a Department for Growth and a digital one‑stop shop for businesses. Cooper also proposed a Growth and Defence Partnership with the EU, claiming Brexit has cost the UK about £90bn a year in lost tax revenue, and used the speech to criticise rival parties and warn against Nigel Farage's political style.
Lib Dems Vow To End 'Computer Says No' Economy With 30‑Page Growth Plan
Deputy leader Daisy Cooper says she has a plan for growth [PA Media]
Liberal Democrat deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper unveiled a 30‑page growth plan at the party conference in Brighton, saying Britain’s economic potential is being hampered by bureaucracy and an inflexible system she summed up as "the computer says no."
Plan Aims To Cut Red Tape And Keep Businesses In The UK
Cooper said the package is designed to remove barriers that stop ideas, start‑ups and research from being scaled and commercialised in the UK. She warned that while Britain produces world‑class research and innovative start‑ups, too many of them end up growing overseas.
"We build brilliant start‑ups, and watch too many leave to scale somewhere else. We produce world‑class research, and too little of it becomes a British product," Cooper said. "Britain has the potential. The system holds it back. The computer says no."
Key Proposals
The plan proposes two headline measures:
- A new Department for Growth to coordinate policy aimed at boosting investment, innovation and skills across government.
- A digital one‑stop‑shop for businesses and investors bringing together tax, regulatory, legal, Companies House and other services to cut red tape and make it easier for small and medium‑sized enterprises to scale in the UK.
Closer Ties With The EU
Cooper also called for a Growth and Defence Partnership with the EU — a package of deeper economic and security ties she described as "the single biggest growth lever we could pull." She claimed that Brexit has damaged the economy and estimated it is costing the UK around £90bn a year in lost tax revenue; this figure is presented as her assessment rather than an established fact.
On specifics, the Lib Dems say they would pursue arrangements on the single market, a customs union and closer defence cooperation to restore trade and investment flows with Europe.
Political Context And Criticisms
Cooper used the speech to draw contrasts with other parties. She criticised Labour and the Conservatives for what she called a lack of credible plans and costings and warned against the political style of figures like Nigel Farage, saying he is "modelling himself on Trump" and that his approach would be damaging to UK politics. She also accused the Conservatives and Reform UK of a "race to the bottom" on policy without realistic budgets.
Separately, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime but respects the 2016 referendum result and does not want to "re‑run" those debates. The conference also highlighted other proposals, such as calls from former Lib Dem leader Ed Davey for an immediate 10p cut to fuel duty.
What Comes Next
The Lib Dems present the plan as a blueprint for making Britain a more competitive home for innovation and investment. Whether the proposals gain traction will depend on political negotiations at home and potential talks with the EU over the depth of any partnership.
Note: Figures such as the claimed £90bn annual loss are assertions made by Daisy Cooper during her speech and should be treated as party estimates unless corroborated by independent analysis.
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