Swinson wants us all to be happy

unless you’re a Brexiteer!

She plans new ‘wellbeing’ unit – then lets rip at ‘insular and selfish’ Leavers

JO SWINSON made her pitch for Downing Street yesterday, pledging to appoint a ‘happiness’ minister to ensure all policies pass a wellbeing test.

The Liberal Democrat leader savaged the two main political parties for failing Britain and said she would reshape government policymaking.

She told her party’s conference in Bournemouth that economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment figures were an incomplete way of measuring the country’s progress.

Instead, she said wellbeing should be included in the way we measure growth, and should be used to determine a government’s priorities. On Brexit, Miss Swinson appeared to abandon her party’s call for a second referendum by fully embracing the new policy to cancel Brexit by revoking Article 50 ‘on day one’ of winning power.

She also suggested that Brexiteers were insular, saying: ‘At the next general election, voters will choose the sort of country we want to be. Insular, closed and selfish, or collaborative, open and generous.

‘A politics of fear, hate and division, or one of respect, hope and inclusion.’

She also warned Brexit would put lives at risk: ‘In the event of No Deal, doctors are worried about the impact that delays at borders will have on the supply of time-sensitive radiopharmaceuticals.

‘The truth is, you can’t plan for No Deal. Planning for No Deal is like planning to burn your house down.

‘You might have insurance, but you’re still going to lose all your stuff.

‘The first task is clear. We must stop Brexit. There is no Brexit that will be good for our country.’

Miss Swinson attacked Boris Johnson, saying that ‘if he thinks being a woman is somehow a weakness, he’s about to find out it is not’. She said the Prime Minister’s choice of insults such as ‘big girl’s blouse’ and ‘girly swot’ were revealing.

A Lib Dem spokesman said her wellbeing test would involve a unit within the Treasury to guide policymaking.

The test was originally brought in by David Cameron in 2010 but has not been used as a indicator for the success of policies. The four questions measure life satisfaction, happiness, anxiety and mental wellbeing levels.

Miss Swinson told the conference: ‘We have been conditioned to believe that as long as GDP keeps growing, everything is fine. But this ignores the reality behind the numbers. ‘

‘That the social contract is broken – that working hard and playing by the rules is no longer enough to guarantee a better life. That our planet is at breaking point. GDP measures how often we replace our clothes, our cars and our computers. How many young offenders institutions we build for children without hope. How much diesel pollutes our air and damages our lungs.’

Tory MP Steve Double criticised the speech, saying: ‘No wonder the Lib Dems want to appoint a happiness minister. No one will be happy if they block Brexit and destroy our democracy.’