Jo Swinson has beaten Ed Davey to become the first female and youngest ever leader of the Unliberal Undemocrats.
The Scot has vowed to stop Brexit and also said she will lead the party to a General Election victory and become PM, which is hardly likely when you are campaigning to overthrow democracy. It's not much of a vote winner.
The Unliberal Undemocrats were formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and were in government as part of a coalition with Cameron's Tories between 2010 and 2015.
Lib Dems: Jo Swinson becomes party's first female leader
22 July 2019
BBC News
Jo Swinson has become the first female Liberal Democrat leader, after decisively beating Sir Ed Davey in a poll of party members.
She won 47,997 votes, against her opponent's 28,021.
The 39-year old, who succeeds Sir Vince Cable, said she was "over the moon" to have been elected and was "ready for the fight of our lives".
She told activists the UK's future lay in the European Union and she would do "whatever it takes to stop Brexit".
As well as being the first woman to take charge of the party, Ms Swinson is also its youngest ever leader.
Describing Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the contest to be the next Conservative leader, as "unfit to be prime minister", she said her party was ready to return to government.
"I stand before you today not just as leader of the Lib Dems, but as a candidate to be prime minister. There is no limit for my ambition for our party, our movement and our country.
"I am ready to take my party into a general election and win it."
The BBC's political correspondent Jessica Parker said Ms Swinson's victory speech was met with rapturous applause.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49076118
The Scot has vowed to stop Brexit and also said she will lead the party to a General Election victory and become PM, which is hardly likely when you are campaigning to overthrow democracy. It's not much of a vote winner.
The Unliberal Undemocrats were formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and were in government as part of a coalition with Cameron's Tories between 2010 and 2015.
Lib Dems: Jo Swinson becomes party's first female leader
22 July 2019
BBC News
Jo Swinson has become the first female Liberal Democrat leader, after decisively beating Sir Ed Davey in a poll of party members.
She won 47,997 votes, against her opponent's 28,021.
The 39-year old, who succeeds Sir Vince Cable, said she was "over the moon" to have been elected and was "ready for the fight of our lives".
She told activists the UK's future lay in the European Union and she would do "whatever it takes to stop Brexit".
As well as being the first woman to take charge of the party, Ms Swinson is also its youngest ever leader.
Describing Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the contest to be the next Conservative leader, as "unfit to be prime minister", she said her party was ready to return to government.
"I stand before you today not just as leader of the Lib Dems, but as a candidate to be prime minister. There is no limit for my ambition for our party, our movement and our country.
"I am ready to take my party into a general election and win it."
The BBC's political correspondent Jessica Parker said Ms Swinson's victory speech was met with rapturous applause.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49076118
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