Swinson: stopping Brexit is my No 1 priority

First female leader of the Liberal Democrats will start with challenge of next week’s by-election

JO SWINSON has promised to do “whatever it takes” to stop Brexit as she was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats.

In a landslide victory the MP secured nearly two thirds of the votes cast by Lib Dem members to replace Sir Vince Cable and become the first woman to lead the party. Ms Swinson won 47,997 votes on a 72 per cent turnout. Her rival Sir Ed Davey, the former cabinet minister, secured 28,021 votes.

The East Dunbartonshire MP, who has been Sir Vince’s deputy since 2017, said that she was “delighted, honoured, absolutely over the moon”.

Sir Vince, 76, announced plans to step down in March to pave the way for a “new generation”, and will formally hand over the leadership to Ms Swinson today.

She will take the helm at a time when the Liberal Democrats are enjoying their best poll ratings for years, capitalising on recent electoral success. The party saw a surge of support at the local elections after running on an antibrexit platform. It came second in the European elections, winning 20 per cent of the vote share.

Ms Swinson will face her first test as leader next week with the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, which the Liberal Democrats hope to win back from the Conservatives.

In her victory speech she said: “Our party has been clear on Brexit from day one. We believe the UK’S best future is as members of the European Union, and that’s why, as your leader, I will do whatever it takes to stop Brexit.”

She later said stopping Brexit is “top of my agenda” adding: “When I say Bollocks to Brexit I mean it. This isn’t a normal political issue – this is about the fundamental direction of our country for generations.

“Brexit, in any form, is a disaster for our country and we’ll do everything in our power to stop it.”

She said the vote to leave the EU marked a challenge to the “liberal values” and “fundamental freedoms” her party had historically championed.

Ms Swinson also attacked Boris Johnson, who is today expected to be elected Tory leader. She said: “Stopping Boris, and stopping Brexit, is my number one priority as leader.

“That job starts with winning the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election to bring Jane Dodds to Parliament, cut Johnson’s wafer-thin majority and take us a step closer to stopping Brexit.”

Ms Swinson said her leadership rival Sir Ed would remain “absolutely central to our team”.

Chuka Umunna, the former Labour MP who last month joined the Liberal Democrats, said he was “delighted” at the leadership result.

He said: “I’ve known Jo for almost a decade and worked very closely with her on the People’s Vote campaign since we founded the movement in the spring of 2018 with others. She represents the very best of modern Britain.”

Tim Farron, the former Lib Dem leader, said Ms Swinson would be an “outstanding leader at just the moment when we need you the most”.

Meanwhile Sir Nick Clegg said: “In the up-and-down history of the Lib Dems, there can be few times when opportunities abound as much as they do today.

“And Jo Swinson has all the gifts and skills to take full advantage of them.”

However critics have expressed concern about Ms Swinson’s convictions.

One former Liberal Democrat staffer said: “With someone like Vince you’ve got his core beliefs about business, Brexit and the environment, and then you have got a lower tier of ideological viewpoints on everything from the economy to education to healthcare.

“With Jo, that lower tier is completely lacking. Once you scratch the surface it’s hard to know what she really believes about anything beyond Brexit.”