Swinson: I’ll scrap Brexit on day one

Jo Swinson has pledged to revoke Article 50 on day one of her premiership if she is elected to Number 10.

Speaking on a visit to the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in Glasgowyesterday, the Liberal Democrat leader said stopping Brexit would mean greater investment could be made in the health service, childcare and tackling the climate emergency.

She said leaving the European Union would make it harder to focus on other such priorities.

“The Liberal Democrats have been very clear – we want to remain in the European Union,” she said. “We are an internationalist party and so a Liberal Democrat majority government would revoke Article 50 on day one.

“We could stop Brexit and get on with building a brighter future, which would be more money for our NHS, in particular our mental health services, more money to give children the best start in life in our schools and helping more parents with the unaffordable costs of childcare, as well as tackling the climate emergency so that we can protect this beautiful planet and hand it on to the next generation, not polluted and damaged.”

Ms Swinson also outlined her opposition to a second referendum on Scottish independence.

“I’m very clear I think Scotland is best in the United Kingdom,” she said.

“I want Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom for very much the same reasons I want the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union.

“So I want Scotland to stay in the UK, I do not want another independence referendum, Liberal Democrats will not support indyref2.”

Earlier this week, the Lib Dems announced they are taking legal action against ITV over the broadcaster’s exclusion of Ms Swinson from a televised leaders’ debate in the run-up to the 12 December election.