The Liberal Democrats will elect their fourth leader in five years on Thursday as the party continues to try to rebuild itself after a series of crushing general election defeats and poor poll ratings. The result is due to be announced at midday on Thursday, with senior party sources suggesting it had been an extremely close race. The coronavirus pandemic meant the acting leader and former energy secretary, Ed Davey, and the party’s education spokeswoman, Layla Moran, were forced to conduct the campaign almost entirely online. This is Davey’s second attempt to take on the leadership of the party after he lost to Jo Swinson in her landslide victory last summer. Just six months later, she resigned after losing her seat at the 2019 general election following a highly personalised campaign in which she claimed she could be prime minister. Davey said: “The next leader faces a huge job to rebuild the party, take on the Conservatives and get the party winning nationally again. “This contest has put both candidates through our paces and made sure that the victor is battle-tested for this tough job ahead. “Whoever wins, it is vital that the party unites, works together on the challenges we face and continues to stand up for the people in society who need us the most.” The new leader will take over the party at a moment when it is polling at 6% and has struggled to make a comeback since its time in coalition with the Tories when it had 57 MPs. However, membership remains at a record high of 120,000. In a relatively quiet campaign, one of the main points of difference has been on how closely the Liberal Democrats should work with other parties, with Moran favouring closer cooperation than Davey. Moran, who is half-Palestinian, has also been seen by younger members as a fresh face untainted by the coalition era, as she was elected to Oxford West and Abingdon in 2017. She also got widespread support from the party’s LGBT+ group. Strategically, both will have to contend with an altered political landscape where Labour’s disenchanted supporters may drift back to the party under the leadership of Keir Starmer. Moran said: “I am immensely proud of the positive and hopeful campaign my team have run, and I have sent my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who helped me. “Both Ed and I have committed to implement the general election review and improve diversity in our party.”