THE leader of the Liberal Democrats has said the party 'could take majority control of Dorset.'

Sir Ed Davey visited Poole to talk to businesses and residents as uncertainty over when the general election will be held continues. 

Accompanied by BCP Council leader Vikki Slade, Sir Ed took a tour of Poole Bay Holding's Factory at Fleetsbridge to discuss the businesses' frustration with the current government's failure to help medium-sized businesses.

Sir Ed said: "The government incompetence is their biggest barrier.

"I have learnt a lot from visiting here today. It has been great to see a successful Dorset business, but really disappointing that the Conservative government is holding them back."

Sir Ed said his party has made significant progress in governing BCP since securing the majority vote in 2023.

He said: "We are doing a really good job, despite all the disaster we inherited from the Conservatives who really made a mess of BCP.

"We have now got local elections in the rest of the county, and we're getting some really exciting results from doorsteps."

Sir Ed added: "Lifelong Conservatives are now switching to us. They are very irritated by how the Conservatives ran Dorset for many years. They are angry with the national Conservatives, and they are looking to us as the party who can beat them."

When Sir Ed visited Poole on March 28, he said his main priorities for his campaign were to focus on the 'dreadful budget' and look after vulnerable people in the area.

He said: "We need to give real support to people caring for their loved ones.

"We need to support both paid and family carers and if we can take some of the pressure off of the NHS."

Sir Ed warned the Prime Minister is facing a "sewage backlash" in the May local elections.

He said: "I'm shocked how Wessex Water had been allowed by the regulators, by the government, to dump so much filthy sewage into our rivers and our beaches and our coast.

"We need to look at the whole structure of the water industry.

"These companies put profit before the environment for clean water and human health, and that's unacceptable."