Fitness, FaceTime and fermented milk: Sir Ed Davey’s election campaign survival techniques

The Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has certainly been keeping himself active during this election campaign.

Over the past three weeks, we’ve seen him paddle boarding, cycling, trying his hand at tennis, sailing, and even tackling an army assault course.

It’s all part of the Lib Dem strategy to try and get people’s attention.

But it’s also a handy way of keeping healthy on the road, Davey tells me during a visit to the constituency of Eastleigh in Hampshire.

It’s the latest stop for the Lib Dems’ big yellow campaign bus, which is working its way around Britain.

It’s where Davey, his campaign team, and a handful of journalists (myself included) have spent most of our time for the past three weeks, and will be doing until the election on July 4.

"It does mean that meals are a little bit… Taken where you can get them," he says as he finishes a game of frisbee - today’s campaign "stunt".

The kitchen on board the bus is full of biscuits, crisps and chocolate, but Davey insists that his campaign is currently being fuelled by fruit smoothies and kefir - a fermented milk drink.

He admits there are "a lot of sandwiches", but snack-wise he says he’s sticking to pumpkin seeds, pecans and walnuts for energy to keep up with all the extreme sporting activities.

This afternoon, he tells me, he will get the chance to pop home for two hours, "to get a change of clothing, but also to see my kids and my wife."

"I hadn’t told them [I was coming] so they’re quite pleased. I got some brownie points for that!" he added.

Davey has spoken several times during the course of this campaign about juggling his job with his responsibilities as a carer to his son at home.

His 16-year-old son, John, can’t walk and has limited speech - disabilities that mean he will probably need care for the rest of his life.

"I think my son is the one who is feeling it the most because he can’t quite understand what’s going on," Davey tells me. "I think John is struggling a little bit, but it will be over soon."

He says they use FaceTime so they can still see each other while he is away trying to convince other families to lend his party their votes.

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On that point, I ask him whether he feels he’s been meeting enough people during the course of this campaign.

I point out that most of the photo opportunities we are invited to are carefully managed - on board a boat or tucked away on countryside assault courses - places he’s not that likely to encounter ordinary voters.

"I think we are engaging actually," Davey responds. "Would I like to do more of it? Of course. But I’m not hiding in a fridge."

That’s a reference to the moment, during the 2019 election campaign, that Boris Johnson retreated into a fridge, live on air, to avoid being interviewed on Good Morning Britain.

Finally, I ask the Liberal Democrats leader what he does to unwind.

He likes to go for a swim in the morning, he says, and allows himself "the odd glass of wine".

He is also following the football.

He watched England’s 1-0 victory over Serbia aboard the campaign bus on Sunday night, as it made its way from London to Devon.

But their next match, against Denmark, is on Thursday evening, when Davey will be preparing for an appearance on BBC’s Question Time.

England and Scotland’s Euros campaigns are only just beginning. Back at home, Sir Ed Davey's is halfway through.

But which of them has the skill and the stamina to get the results in July?

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every day in the run-up to the election Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…