Lib Dems will stand against Brexit even if Leave wins again

JO SWINSON, the new Liberal Democrat leader, says she will continue to campaign for Remain even if a second referendum votes Leave.

Ms Swinson, who beat Sir Ed Davey to the leadership of the Lib Dems on Monday, said a further vote in favour of leaving the EU would not “change my fundamental beliefs”.

Asked if she would vote to enable Brexit in Parliament if a second referendum confirmed the 2016 result, she said: “No, because I was elected on a firm manifesto pledge to fight for Scotland’s place in the UK and the UK’S place in the EU.

“That’s what Lib Dems are here to do. That’s the mandate we have.”

Asked a second time on the BBC, she replied: “I am going to do what I was sent here to do, which is to stand up for things I believe in and stand up for the principles of working internationally with other countries.”

Ms Swinson, who secured nearly two thirds of the votes to take the leadership, has pledged to “do whatever it takes” to block Brexit, and is demanding a “people’s vote” with a Remain option on the ballot paper.

The Lib Dems’ avowed anti-brexit stance has paid dividends with its best poll ratings for years, and a surge in support in the European elections where it came second with 20 per cent of the vote share.

Responding to Boris Johnson’s victory, she claimed he “isn’t fit to be the prime minister of our country”.

She said: “Whether it is throwing people under the bus or writing a lie on the side of one: Britain deserves better than Boris Johnson.”

Yesterday, Ms Swinson again ruled out working with Jeremy Corbyn, branding him a Brexiteer who cannot be trusted to fight for a second referendum. She said her door was open to MPS from other parties who wanted to work towards a second referendum.

But she said the Lib Dems could not join a pact with Labour while Mr Corbyn was leader, even in the event of a hung parliament and even though the party has said it would support a referendum on any deal put forward.

She said: “There is nothing to suggest Jeremy Corbyn can be trusted on Brexit or that he will campaign to remain. Let’s remember, in the last referendum he went on holiday for two weeks in the middle of it.

“Forgive me for not believing Jeremy Corbyn’s newly mouthed words on Brexit. He can barely bring himself to say the words ‘people’s vote’.”