Sir Vince Predicts an ‘Avalanche’ of Labour MPs Defecting to Lib Dems

A senior Lib Dem source said: “This policy is an unashamed land grab for those Labour voters who understand and care about Britain’s economic stability and who look at Corbyn’s offering and despair”.

The party is celebrating hosting its largest ever conference with 2500 people expected to attend the Bournemouth worldwide Centre, with 20,000 new members joining the party in recent months.

The new policy was revealed as the Lib Dems continued the long process of rebuilding their party at their start of their annual conference in Bournemouth yesterday, after a shattering general election defeat saw them lose all but eight of their 57 seats.

With posters, T-shirts and a social media hashtag describing the “Lib Dem fightback”, much of the fringe events at this year’s conference are given over to campaigning strategies.

Image copyright PA Image caption The Lib Dems are targeting Labour voters dismayed by Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

On Friday, 18 September, a Labour insider told IBTimes United Kingdom that LibDem leader Tim Farron would scare off moderate Labour MPs after publicly claiming he had been contacted by well-known Labour figures in the wake of Corbyn’s election win.

“We will make our mark in Westminster and in Holyrood, the National Assembly in Wales, the London Assembly and the European parliament – We have dozens of Parliamentarians who will stand up for decency, liberalism and common sense”.

Mr Farron, who was elected to replace Nick Clegg in July, condemned the “fantasy economics” of by Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell and accused Labour of “nostalgia” for the student politics of the 1980s.

At a rally, Mr Farron added: “If Labour aren’t interested in standing up to the Tories and providing a credible opposition, that’s their funeral”.

“The Liberal Democrats will fill that space. While Labour have said they now want to strip government support for businesses and the Tories focus on giving tax cuts to giant corporations, we want to focus on entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking to grow”. “When the tectonic plates of politics move, they sometimes move immensely quickly – that is what is happening now”.

“These are momentous and historic times, history calls us, we will answer that call”.

“Britain desperately needs a party that is liberal, progressive and economically responsible. This is our moment”.