Before we get to the election, Lib Dems need to raise their sights and up their game | Andrew Rawnsley

A policy wonk at heart, he has taken lessons in how to talk the language of retail politics and endeavoured to get his voice heard in a national conversation dominated by the Conservatives and Labour.

When I put this to people on his team, they respond with resigned shrugs that being ignored most of the time is in the job description of being Lib Dem leader and that will change only once the election is under way and the rules oblige broadcasters to give them more airtime.

Sir Ed could do worse than emulate the example set by his mentor, the late Paddy Ashdown, who led the party to a breakthrough general election result in 1997.

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices soaring, the Lib Dems were ahead of their blue and red rivals in advocating a windfall tax on the bloated profits of the hydrocarbon majors.

His caution is informed by haunting memories of the 2019 election when the Lib Dems thought they were on to a winner by marketing themselves as the party that would overturn Brexit only for it to go splat on their face.

Jo Swinson, Sir Ed’s predecessor as leader, lost her seat and the voters sent a meagre total of just 11 Lib Dem MPs to parliament.