Tim Farron in Lib Dem pitch to pro-Europe Labour supporters

Mr Farron used his speech to set out Lib Dem policies to scrap standardised primary school testing and to raise taxes to support reform of the NHS and social care.

The pro-EU position is supported by former leader and deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg who said he thought Farron was “dead right” as the call “he’s made is one of those that will get a bit of criticism to begin with, but will be vindicated over”.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party fighting to keep Britain in the single market”. I kind of see Tony Blair the way I see The Stone Roses, I preferred the early work.

“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”.

Given that saying anything positive about Blair is tantamount to thought crime in Corbynworld, Farron is probably the only party leader who will pay tribute to Labour’s three-times election victor this autumn and the pitch for the Labour, centrist vote was obvious.

“I don’t think the majority of people from Labour or Conservatives would come across because when I speak to those sorts of people the reason that they are Conservatives or in the Labour Party is because they perceive a lot more chance of getting in to power by doing that than following their true belief of being a Liberal Democrat”. I’ll give you three things I’m very keen we do.

Owen Smith, challenging to lead the Labour party, has also called for a second referendum, or a general election, to ratify whatever Brexit deal May gets from the EU. “Three months on, it isn’t good enough to have brainstorming sessions at Chequers while investment and jobs steadily bleed away”. Act like a prime minister.

“When Theresa May does agree a deal with the European Union, we want the people to decide”, Farron will tell supporters Tuesday.

“There are people in the party who don’t accept the outcome, who feel incredibly angry and feel it’s reversible, that somehow we can undo it”, he told a fringe event.

Mr Farron will tell conference: “If the only way to fund a health service that meets the needs of everyone is to raise taxes, Liberal Democrats will raise taxes”.

“I respect him for believing that the point of being in politics is to get stuff done, and you can only get stuff done if you win”.

The Lib Dems proved it once again by tearing it up at their annual disco, which is, needless to say, the party of the year.

“This government wants us to forget this crisis, it’s too hard to solve, too risky to take a lead”.

“We’re stuck at “we lost the election in 2015 and disappeared off the face of the earth”, she says.

“That would be quite idealistic to think”, she says. Not necessarily. The political tremors of the Brexit vote are still being felt; the party system remains in flux.