Jo Swinson launched a strong personal attack on Boris Johnson’s “attitude to women” today as she kicked off the Liberal Democrats’ general election campaign.
The leader of Lib Dems said the UK “deserves better than the British Donald Trump” as she made her election pitch in central London.
She said: “With his big lies, his brash promises and his attitude to women, it’s clear that Boris Johnson is modelling himself on Donald Trump. But Britain deserves better than the British Donald Trump.”
She also said Mr Johnson had “lied to the Queen, Parliament and the country” as she set out her stall as the only party that can stop Brexit.
The party, which has 20 MPs before Parliament dissolves tonight, claims that stopping the UK’s departure from the EU will deliver a £50 billion “remain bonus” for public services over five years.
They have based the figure on the UK economy being 1.9 per cent larger in 2024-25 by remaining in the EU and said they would put the extra funds into training teachers and fully restoring Universal Credit work allowances.
In a bid to attract Remain voters, Ms Swinson also said a “vote for Labour is a vote for Brexit” and that Jeremy Corbyn “doesn’t deserve a single Remainer vote”.
It comes after the Lib Dems threatened ITV with legal action if they exclude Ms Swinson from their leaders’ debate, claiming that doing so would be “misrepresenting the current political reality”.
The network announced the first TV debate of the campaign on November 19 will only include Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn.
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger, who is running in Finchley and Golders Green for the Lib Dems, threatened to break ties with ITV today if they do not include her leader in the debate.
Ms Berger, who is vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary ITV Group, called it a “democratic outrage” and added: “Johnson and Corbyn are running scared of the only female candidate for prime minister.”
Michael Gove was asked on TalkRadio if Mr Johnson was sexist or scared to debate Ms Swinson and replied: “Neither. Ultimately the choice is between Corbyn as prime minister and Boris.
Even Swinson’s biggest fans don’t believe that she’s going to be in No10 with a majority Lib Dem government.”
