Down in the polls, not down in the dumps: Why are local Lib Dems smiling?

There are reasons why the Liberal Democrats should not be feeling happy as they gather for their annual party conference in Brighton.

Their national opinion poll rating of 10% has barely moved all year and they are still in fifth place behind the Greens.

Surveys, including a new one to coincide with the conference, suggest many voters are still not sure what the party stands for. And there are grumbles about Sir Ed Davey's leadership.

But for the Lib Dems in the east of England, things have never looked so good. The party has a record number of MPs and is running a record number of local councils.

One MP confidently predicts that "next year the map of the east of England will become even more orange". But could that be derailed if the party can't articulate a clear message for voters about what it stands for?

Ten years ago the Lib Dems were at rock bottom following their massive defeat in 2015 after being part of the coalition government with the Conservatives. The party lost nearly all of its MPs, with Norman Lamb in North Norfolk one of the few to hold on.

It had just 311 councillors across the east of England. Gaining control of Watford was its one local success in the 2016 council elections.

Today the local party can boast a record seven MPs in the east, along with more than 550 councillors. It leads 14 local authorities, including the big-tier Milton Keynes along with Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire county councils.

In addition, it plays a role in the leadership of 10 other authorities in no overall control: Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield, Peterborough, Colchester, Tendring, Southend, Babergh, East Suffolk, East Hertfordshire and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

And some of the wins have been spectacular.

This year the Lib Dems won all but two of the seats on South Cambridgeshire District Council. In Watford they won all 12 seats being contested.

They now have seven MPs in the region, in places like Chelmsford, Harpenden and rural Cambridgeshire, where they have never won before.

Deputy party leader and St Albans MP Daisy Cooper puts the success down to hard work by councillors and MPs all year round.

"We win through our ground game. We have established that over the years: where we get Lib Dem MPs and councillors elected, they dig in and become community champions," she told the BBC Politics East programme.

Lorna Dupre, deputy leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, agrees. "We live locally, we talk to people all year round and people really feel that we have their interests at heart and success breeds success," she says.

In the conference hall, in fringe debates and private conversations, there is a lot of talk about Reform UK.

The Lib Dems see themselves as the main opposition to Nigel Farage's party, particularly in an area like the east of England where Reform is already strong.

"I think the map of the east is going to get more orange next year because people want to know who is going to stand up to the far right in the UK and they want to make sure (Reform) is not leading their council services," says Steff Aquarone, MP for North Norfolk.

"That, combined with our record in local government, is the pitch to voters that matters now. People want to know what we're going to do to fix things that don't work."

That line may work in local elections but what about the next general election?

There is a frustration among some members that the party doesn't have a clear vision for how it would run the country.

"Just being less bad than the other lot isn't enough on its own," says Aquarone.

"I'm interested in us setting out a bold vision for what it's going to look and feel like to live in a liberal Britain."

Dupre agrees. "We do have to have a positive vision and I think we will start defining it at this conference," she says.

"It's got to be a vision about freedom, fairness and community and about tackling the issues that matter to people, like the cost of living and the appalling state of the NHS."

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