Tim Farron cast himself as the heir to Tony Blair as he delivered a direct appeal to disillusioned Labour voters to switch allegiance to the Liberal Democrats.
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Brushing off the Brexit campaigner’s words, Mr Farron retorted: “It’s absolute nonsense, because what is believed, I mean for example across the Commonwealth, most Commonwealth heads of government are absolutely horrified at what the United Kingdom…”
Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, also bears some responsibility.
“Lonely, unclean, uncaring. It’s a few years back, but as I fought to get him out of that place and into somewhere better, it occurred to me that this was a standard experience for too many older people and their loved ones”.
“And so later that day, there I was in my office in Kendal meeting with the chief executive of the local NHS trust, when my phone went off and we were all treated to a quick burst of “eff the police”, he said. Let me be blunt with you: “The risks is for you to do nothing”.
“Otherwise you’re letting your opponent get stuff done instead. When Theresa May does agree a deal with the European Union, we want the people to decide”.
There is little evidence thus far that those voters have been convinced that the LibDems are the answer, however, new polling released yesterday show their ratings have barely changed from a year ago, despite heightened attention post-Brexit vote.
The Press Association spoke to him ahead of the Liberal Democrat conference and asked if he understood why his critics are annoyed by his repeated reluctance to clarify his position on gay sex, Mr Farron replied: “I think it’s a peculiar one”.
It also remains to be seen how Farron’s praise of Blair will be received by his party.
Mr Farron said: “My message to any business in this country – large or small – is if you are backing today’s Conservative Party, you are funding your own funeral”.
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mark Williams expects Jeremy Corbyn to be re-elected this week to the top job in the UK Labour party – and he spies an electoral opportunity.
“That’s the reality, however passionately we might think this is the right solution, but certainly when Labour was in government and we did the penny on NI [national insurance] for the NHS, it was a semi-hypothecation to say it’s going to go on this specifically”.
He is sure, though, that it will improve on its 2015 general election performance, although he admits that is “not hard, I know”, and predicts it will return up to 30 MPs to Parliament.
“I’ll tell you what’s so interesting: the way you disparage them as being on the other side of the world”.
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Ms Cooper and Ms Flint are seeking the chairmanship of the Commons Home Affairs Committtee along with fellow former Labour frontbencher Chuka Umunna. He said: “Shouldn’t that be their leadership contest?”
