LONDON ¨C The leader of Britain¡¯s pro-European Liberal Democrats has suggested she could work with the opposition Labour party to stop Brexit if it removed its leader in the event of a hung Parliament after next week¡¯s election.
Jo Swinson repeated her pledge not to put either the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, or Prime Minister Boris Johnson into power if neither wins a majority in Parliament.
¡°I will vote for legislation to pass a people¡¯s vote, of course I will, and I would have done that under the previous Conservative government, just as I would do under any other government,¡± she told the BBC, referring to a second referendum on membership of the European Union (EU) proposed by Labour.
Asked if she would support Labour in an effort to stop Britain leaving the EU if there was a hung Parliament, she said she would, provided that Corbyn was no longer its leader.
¡°I have said that Liberal Democrat votes won¡¯t put Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10,¡± she said.
¡°Liberal Democrats will work to stop Brexit, we will support legislation that puts in place a people¡¯s vote and we will work across parties.¡±
She also pledged not to resign if her party loses seats in the election.
The Liberal Democrats, who cast themselves as the only ¡®Stop Brexit¡¯ party, trail the Conservatives and Labour in opinion polls and are expected to fall a long way short of winning the election outright. But they could have an important role if neither the Conservatives nor Labour win a majority and have to find a partner in order to form a government.
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