By Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
When you look at Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, the answer has to be Jo Swinson. She offers fresh leadership that our country needs at a time of national crisis. Jo will speak up for the majority in Scotland that want to be part of the United Kingdom and the European Union.
It’s not necessary or desirable to break up the UK in response to the possible break from the European Union because we have another way. We can stop Brexit together across the UK.
I draw hope from millions who marched in London to stop Brexit or the six million who signed up to revoke Article 50, or the hundreds of thousands of people who backed the Liberal Democrats in the European Elections.
We have also seen the defection of former Labour and Conservative MPs including Luciana Berger and Sarah Wollaston. And here in Scotland we have defections from Labour and Conservative councillors and the big win over the SNP in Shetland.
So we want an election before the end of the year but I’m afraid we can’t trust the Prime Minister to abide by the law of the land and request an extension to negotiations with Europe. So we need to hold his feet to the fire until he does and until we have seen an end to the no deal aspirations of this reckless Prime Minister. That means waiting until November before we choose a new Parliament.
We will do well as we have a positive, hopeful message of change. We’ve also had the implosion of the Conservatives after the departure of Ruth Davidson and the elevation to leadership of the UK conservatives of the unpopular Boris Johnson. And we have had the inability of the Labour Party to settle on a position on the European Union. They should stop dithering and back us to stop Brexit.
And with the rise of the Liberal Democrats, we are best placed to challenge the SNP right across Scotland. Our ambitions are not limited and we can win many seat to start the drive for change here. We can win back North East Fife from the SNP and their ultra-thin margin of just two votes but we can win so much more too.
We can change the course of the UK with Jo Swinson and an agenda for change. Scotland should be part of that change. Join us.
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