I won’t put Labour in No10
Swinson’s vow as her battle bus is attacked by a swarm of eco-bees
JO Swinson appeared to accept the Liberal Democrats might lose seats at the election last night as she insisted she would stay on as leader even if this happened.
And, in a bruising TV interview, she promised she would never help put Jeremy Corbyn in No10 – but would vote in favour of a second referendum under any government.
The Lib Dem leader also faced awkward questions from the BBC’s Andrew Neil on her revoke Brexit policy and a faltering election campaign. On austerity, she was forced to apologise for welfare cuts the party backed when it was in Coalition with the Tories.
The interview came after climate change protesters dressed as bees surrounded her battle bus yesterday and one of them described her as patronising. Another ‘bee’ glued himself to the windscreen of the bus – despite it being electric.
Miss Swinson was visiting a youth centre in South London. When she told them ‘I appreciate the campaigning work you’re doing’ an activist declared: ‘I find “campaigning work” a little bit patronising. We’re an active rebellion against the Government.’
During her confrontation with Mr Neil last night she was questioned about whether she’d stay on if the Lib Dems lose seats – they currently have 20, but polls suggest they could end up with only 13.
She said: ‘I’m absolutely here to stay.’ Asked if this applied regardless of the result, she said: ‘I’m here to stay and we’re going to get a great result.’
Asked about austerity under the Coalition government, Miss Swinson defended her record: ‘Some cuts were necessary but the shape of those cuts and certainly the balance between cuts and tax rises, I don’t think was the right balance.’
Mr Neil highlighted her support for the so-called bedroom tax, scrapping the benefits cap and rolling back health reforms in the NHS, and asked her whether she would apologise. She said: ‘Yes, I am sorry that I did that. It was not the right policy. And we should have stopped it.’
Asked whether she would work with a Labour government, Miss Swinson said she would not put Mr Corbyn in No 10. However, she said that Lib Dems would vote for a second referendum if it was tabled by a Labour government.
‘I will vote for legislation to pass a people’s vote, of course I will … just as I would do under any other government.’ At the start of a difficult interview, Miss Swinson was forced to concede that she would not become prime minister.
Mr Neil also asked about a poll which showed that the public liked her less the more they saw her. Asked why this was, she replied: ‘I don’t know the answer to that question. I’ve seen some polls that say things slightly differently to that.’
Boris Johnson is still refusing to face a grilling from Mr Neil, the interviewer revealed yesterday.
Mr Corbyn’s mauling by Mr Neil ended up on the front page of nearly every newspaper.
‘I will vote for legislation’