Ed Davey defends Liberal Democrat leadership after 'irrelevance' criticism

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey rejected claims that his party is "sleepwalking into irrelevance," in comments reported by The Guardian at the party's conference in Brighton.

According to The Guardian, the criticism came from Julian Brazil, leader of Devon county council, who made the remark to the BBC.

The Guardian reported that Davey pointed to a record number of Liberal Democrat MPs and councils the party runs, including gains in Devon, as evidence of the party's growth under his six years of leadership.