LETTER FROM LONDON

With two days to go before the British general election on July 4, the prize for the most offbeat campaign can already be awarded. It undoubtedly goes to the Liberal Democrat Party, the United Kingdom's fourth-largest political force, with around 11% of the vote. A special mention goes to its leader, Ed Davey, who has steered the campaign at arm's length, with rackets or oars, for six long weeks.

The 58-year-old MP, who has been elected almost continuously since 1997 in the constituency of Kingston and Surbiton (southwest London), could have conducted a string of interviews in a tailored suit, defending a long list of proposals and attempting to exist between the two behemoths of British politics, the Conservatives, who have been in power for 14 years and are almost certain to lose, and Labour, well ahead in the polls. Instead of mimicking the robotic comments of Tory leader Rishi Sunak, or the ultra-serious, technical statements of Labour's Keir Starmer, Davey opted for a risky but well-received gamble: He hes preferred to spend his time on amusement park rides, mini-golf games and yoga paddle classes.

In terms of pure political PR, his photo-ops have been a success, allowing him to stand out in a campaign that was mostly noted for its lack of drive.

Many voters will remember Davey's first "splash" in the dubious waters of Lake Windermere, in the heart of the Lake District tourist region, when he lost his balance on his paddle. They might have smiled at his other forced plunge into the Thames at the end of June. Others admired the British stiff upper lip of the Sky News journalist who interviewed him in his swimming trunks on the slippery slope of a giant slide in a Somerset water park. Or the professionalism of his colleague from LBC, who questioned him about Europe or the British health system without losing her composure, on a merry-go-round in the shape of a giant tea set. On Monday, July 1, three days before the vote, Davey even tried bungee jumping, shouting as he fell: "Do something you've never done before, vote Liberal Democrat!"

These antics have prompted some bitter comments about show politics and unflattering comparisons with former prime minister Boris Johnson, criticized for his antics. But Davey assured the BBC in mid-June that he took "voters and their concerns very seriously" and that his laughs conveyed real political messages.

His roller-coaster rides or his percussion session in a retirement home were aimed at highlighting the importance of mental health. His participation in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation demonstration to the tune of "Stayin' Alive" helped him stress the importance of personal assistance, a sector neglected by the Tories and Labour. Diving into the Thames or Lake Windermere served to illustrate the scandalous issue of polluted water, the national water treatment infrastructure having been neglected for decades.

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