Lib Dem leader Ed Davey broke with tradition by forgoing the usual congratulatory message after Donald Trump won a second term in the White House.
The Republican candidate marched to victory in the US election after taking the battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia before picking up the most prized possession of all the swing states – Pennsylvania – which was tipped to be among the closest in the opinion polls.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy have both sent congratulatory messages to the president-elect, despite having expressed their reservations about the man in the past.
But Davey decided to take a different approach by showing Trump for who he really is in a stinging statement.
He said:
“This is a dark, dark day for people around the globe. The world’s largest economy and most powerful military will be led by a dangerous, destructive demagogue.
“The next President of the United States is a man who actively undermines the rule of law, human rights, international trade, climate action and global security.
“Millions of Americans – especially women and minorities – will be incredibly fearful about what comes next. We stand with them.
“Families across the UK will also be worrying about the damage Trump will do to our economy and our national security, given his record of starting trade wars, undermining NATO and emboldening tyrants like Putin.
“Fixing the UK’s broken relationship with the EU is even more urgent than before. We must strengthen trade and defence cooperation across Europe to help protect ourselves from the damage Trump will do.
“Now more than ever, we must stand up for the core liberal values of equality, democracy, human rights and the rule of law – at home and around the world.”
Related: This is the best analysis of the US election posted so far