The Liberal Democrats begin their 4-day annual conference today.
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In a vicious attack on government ministers he will also attack the “calculating forces of darkness” among the leading Brexit campaigners, claiming they exploited the referendum for their own political gain but “care nothing for the working people of this country”.
Antony says there’s “a lot of synergy” between the Lib Dems and elements of the Labour Party and the “left wing” of the Conservative Party, but he suggests people are put off from joining because they don’t want to “sit in opposition” or “struggle to get elected”.
Mr Farron said: “Make no mistake, the Conservative party has lost the right to call itself the party of business”.
He went on: “There is a hole in the centre of British politics right now; a huge opportunity for a party that will stand up for an open, tolerant and united Britain”.
When asked to compare Farron with the Liberal Democrat party, just 23% stated that they liked Farron but slightly more – 28% – said they liked the LibDems, with no change from last year’s conference.
“We used to be on an average of about 15 to 18 per cent and I don’t think we’re far off that now”.
In his keynote speech to conference, the party leader, presenting himself as the heir to Blair, insisted it was only the Liberal Democrats who wanted to stop the “calamity of Brexit” and the “tragedy” of seeing the Conservatives govern Britain for the next 25 years.
On education, the Lib Dem leader will say the current system is not focused on developing young people for later life but rather “on getting them through the wrong kinds of tests”.
Rowing their way into a victory against the Conservative Party? “Three months on, it isn’t good enough to have brainstorming sessions at Chequers while investment and jobs steadily bleed away”.
Speaking to the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, Kendall said it would be politically hard to dedicate a new tax to the NHS.
On Monday party members endorsed a proposal for a referendum on the terms of the final Brexit deal negotiated by the government, with the option of remaining in the EU. We know what we want and we know where we want to take our country.
“If we trusted the people to vote for our departure then we must trust the people to vote for our destination”.
“Today I want us to be utterly ready and determined to take our chance as the tectonic plates shift again”.
“So whilst I would look forward to useful co-operative relationships I think anything more formal than that would struggle”.
He said: “I think it’s a peculiar one”.
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The prime minister has ruled out a second referendum, a parliamentary vote on triggering Article 50, or even making her Brexit plans public until after Article 50 has been triggered.
