THE Lib Dem deputy leader has said his party could “overturn history” by winning multiple Sussex seats in the December General Election.

In a visit to Brighton, Sir Ed Davey told The Argus his party aimed to win seats in Lewes and Hove on December 12.

He visited the Brighthelm Centre last Thursday to back Hove Lib Dem candidate Beatrice Bass

“This is an election unlike any other,” Mr Davey said.

“We’re targeting seats we have never targeted before. History can be overturned.

“Brighton is one of the places where we hope to make gains.

“It has a lively local party and people her understand our core message of stopping Brexit.”

As the Lib Dems pulled their candidate from Brighton Pavilion seat in a “Remain Alliance” with Green candidate Caroline Lucas, Mr Davey said his party had no plans to withdraw in Hove.

“Beatrice is a fantastic candidate,” he said.

“In Pavilion we’re withdrawing to allow another party to have a clear run as part of our nationwide Unite to Remain pact.

“Unfortunately, the Labour Party was not willing to get involved in that pact.

“We’re putting the nation first. There were some candidates who weren’t happy about withdrawing but this is a reasonable agreement.”

Mr Davey said he sympathised with the level of homelessness in Brighton.

And he claimed remaining in the EU would leave the UK £50 billion better off by 2024 compared to if Brexit goes ahead.

“There is no way to properly boost our economy without remaining in the EU,” he said.

“I costed the manifesto myself.”

Meanwhile in Lib Dem target seat Lewes, candidate Oli Henman urged voters to back him to defeat incumbent Conservative Maria Caulfield.

“The polls are neck and neck. Every vote will count in this election,” he said.

“It is vital that we bring together the Remain vote across the constituency.

“The Tories are relying on the Remain vote being split among the progressive parties to ensure victory for Maria Caulfield.

“This constituency desperately needs to see a change away from the hard right and its socially-damaging policies.”

But Lewes Lib Dem chairman Simon Burall criticised the Greens and Labour for standing General Election candidates for the area.

“The Lib Dems have recognised nationally that we need to co-operate to win,” he said.

“We have stood down for Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavilion for this election, just as we did in 2017 when Caroline thought she might lose her seat.

“We have stood down for the Green Party in their top target seat in the Isle of Wight, and in eight other seats across the country including Bristol West.

“This is how much delivering an anti-hard-right and anti-Brexit majority matters to us.”

Maria Caulfield won the Lewes seat in 2017 with 49.5 per cent of the vote.

The Lib Dems came second with 39.3 per cent.