JO Swinson is set to lead the Liberal Democrats into the forthcoming General Election, promising to scrap Britain’s decision to leave the EU, if she is voted into Downing St.

The party leader’s proposal will be voted on by Lib Dem members at their annual conference, which starts on Saturday in Bournemouth.

The East Dunbartonshire MP said: "The Liberal Democrats are fully behind a People's Vote with the option to Remain and we would campaign to stay in.

"We believe this is the best way to resolve the Brexit mess and it is in the country's best interest. However, a general election may well happen before a People's Vote.

"I relish the chance to take the fight to Boris Johnson in an election and I'm confident we'd make significant gains.

"Whenever the election comes, our position is clear and unequivocal. A majority Liberal Democrat government would not renegotiate Brexit; we would cancel it by revoking Article 50 and remaining in the European Union,” declared Ms Swinson.

A draft motion for the Lib Dem conference commits the party to “campaign to stop Brexit in a general election with the election of a Liberal Democrat majority government to be recognised as an unequivocal mandate to revoke Article 50 and for the UK to stay in the EU”.

She explained since the 2016 referendum, the Conservatives had made a mess of Brexit and brought the country to the brink of a dangerous no-deal.

"The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party for Remainers and those who support a People's Vote. We are committed to stopping Brexit so that we can mend our broken politics, build a fairer society and protect our planet."

While the party would back immediately revoking Article 50 in an election campaign, it would revert to supporting a second referendum and campaigning to remain in the EU if it did not win the election.

The Lib Dems’ new unequivocal position puts more pressure on Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour leadership to clarify its own approach.

Its current policy is, if the Opposition won power, to renegotiate a new deal with Brussels and put this and the option of Remain before the British people. However, many senior figures like John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, and Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, have made clear they would campaign to Remain irrespective of how good a deal a Labour government might strike.

Meanwhile at Westminster, a cross-party group of MPs claimed there was still time to secure a Brexit deal in Parliament with a "sizeable voice building across the House" to achieve it by October 31.

Labour’s Stephen Kinnock said striking a "pragmatic deal" for the UK to leave the EU was "not a unicorn" and could command a majority in Parliament.

The Aberavon MP was joined by more than a dozen others, including Labour colleague Caroline Flint, former Tory Cabinet minister Rory Stewart, independent Conservative Nick Boles and the Lib Dems’ Norman Lamb at the launch of "MPs for a Deal".

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Kinnock said this was "not about reproducing a carbon copy" of the Theresa May deal which had failed in three meaningful votes, adding that what emerged from cross-party talks was a "compelling proposal".

He explained: "The fact is that we are rooted in reality here. This is not a unicorn. We have something here which is the basic foundation of a perfectly pragmatic deal that we believe can command a majority in Parliament and also begin to reunite our deeply divided country and even at this 11th hour we think there is time to do it."

The Labour backbencher said the group would back Boris Johnson in bringing a deal before Parliament by October 14.

"We hope that by 14 October at the latest, if not before, this Prime Minister will be ready to bring a deal to Parliament, and MPs for a Deal wish him well in doing that and will be backing that and supporting that, because it is the only way to take the country forward."

Mr Boles, who represents Grantham and Stamford, said: "The Government thinks that by proroguing Parliament it's shut us down; it has not shut us down.There is a deal there that we can use as a basis, there are also some other things that have shifted."

On Mr Johnson, he added: "He does not care about anything other than power and glory for himself and if he concludes that the way to stay in No 10 Downing St is to pass a deal, he will do it."

Ms Flint said there was a "sizeable voice building across the House" to secure a deal before October 31, estimating about 50 Labour MPs were interested. She added 26 Labour MPs wrote to party leader Jeremy Corbyn when Theresa May stood down as PM, backing a deal before October 31.

"There has to be a willingness in all this for parties to work together if there is to be an extension for any reason, and it might be that we agree a deal and then legislation has to be sorted out after that," added the Don Valley MP.

Tory Victoria Prentis, who represents Banbury near Oxford, said she had spoken to one of Mrs May's closest friends on Monday night and suggested it might be a good idea for her to join the group.

Mr Stewart, who was one of 21 Conservative rebels who had the whip withdrawn following last week's vote to block no deal, said: "There is only one door out of this problem which is through a majority [for a deal] in Parliament."

Mr Lamb said: "I believe fundamentally in the importance of compromise and in trying to find common ground.

"There is a silent majority of people in this country who want to move on from this nightmare, who recognise that what's going on is massively damaging to our country, to our international reputation, to our economy," added the North Norfolk MP.

The European Union Withdrawal No 6 Act, which seeks to extend Brexit to January 31 if no deal is agreed by October 19, received Royal Assent on Monday.