Ed Davey says the Lib Dems must bring the Blue Wall of Tory seats in the south of England “tumbling down” to kick Rishi Sunak out of power at the next general election.
He will tell his party’s annual conference that voters are “desperate” to see the back of the “out of touch” Conservatives.
In his keynote speech to activists, party leader Davey will point to the four recent stunning by-election victories as evidence the Lib Dems are ideally placed to help oust Sunak from No.10.
The PM faces a pincer movement of Labour regaining the Red Wall seats in the north of England and the Lib Dems returning in the south and south west.
“We’ve shown the next election won’t be all about the Red Wall. It’s about the Blue Wall too,” Davey will say.
“Over the last few years, we have taken big chunks out of the Blue Wall. Our job now is to bring it tumbling down.
“The British people are desperate to see the back of this appalling, out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the ones who can make it happen.”
In June 2021, the Lib Dems shocked many Westminster by humiliating the Tories and overturning a 16,223 Tory majority in Chesham and Amersham.
The party went on to repeat the feat in North Shropshire, Tiverton and Honiton and then Somerton and Frome.
The Lib Dems are also fighting hard to win the upcoming Mid Bedfordshire by-election triggered after former Tory culture secretary Nadine Dorries quit.
In an attack on Sunak, Davey will also use his speech to say the government is “more like a bad TV soap opera” than a “functioning government”.
“The factions and the feuds. The personal vendettas. The shock exits and unwelcome returns. The total lack of connection to reality,” he will say.
“Each episode worse than the last. Well it’s time to change the channel.
“The corruption of Boris Johnson, the chaos of Liz Truss and the carelessness of Rishi Sunak. This whole Conservative shambles. They all have to go.”
The by-election victories have boosted the morale of the party, which has struggled to gain traction since it was almost wiped out at the 2015 election which brought the coalition government to an end.
If the result of the next election - expected next year - is close, the Lib Dems could once again play kingmakers.
While Davey has rejected any deal with Conservatives, he has not ruled out entering government with Labour.