Author Archives: The Voice

The candidates did their first emails to party members. Read Jo’s in full here.

My aim as Leader is to build on our 700+ gains in the local elections and our fantastic success in the European Elections to change Britain’s politics.

As Leader, I will win us the cut through we need to get our strong liberal message across.

As Leader I will reach out to the next generation, bringing new and vibrant talent into our party.

And as Leader I will ensure that the Liberal Democrats lead the liberal revival that our politics so desperately needs.

On BBC Politics Live, she was pretty robust on Boris’ lack of suitability for the top job:

Lib Dem MP @joswinson pulls no punches when it comes to the idea of #Boris Johnson being Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/5oRJBJiYQE

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) June 12, 2019

In an interview with Businesss Insider, Jo says that she can reach out to new voters:

She said that one of her key qualities was that she’s “not a tribal politician” and had an advantage over Davey in being in a stronger position to win voters from the Conservatives, Labour and elsewhere.

I was down at the Donald Trump protest last week and several people came up to me and said they had joined the Lib Dems as a result of seeing me on Question Time,” she told Business Insider. “It is working.”

She added: “In this election, it is about who can break through and take the Lib Dems above 20%. It’s a big ask and a big challenge but I believe the opportunity is for us to do that.”

She ruled out making a coalition deal with either the incoming leader of the Conservatives or Jeremy Corbyn:

Jo started the day by agreeing with Jeremy Hunt. No, really:

Usually Jeremy Hunt talks rubbish – but on this he's 100% right. #libdemsurge pic.twitter.com/9vMOvvQU3f

— Jo Swinson (@joswinson) June 10, 2019

In the Commons, Jo questioned Said Javid on a key civil liberties issue:

In his remarks about facial recognition technology earlier, the Minister for Policing rightly spoke about the need to take the public with us. Does the Secretary of State recognise that the imposition of Big Brother-style surveillance and fining people for covering their face with their coat is no way to secure the public’s trust? Will the Government halt the use of live facial recognition technology in policing until there has been a proper public debate, Parliament has considered a framework and there are civil liberties safeguards?

Unfortunately Javid’s desire to legislate in a really awful way came shining through.

New technology and AI is one of Jo’s key interests. She wrote for the New Statesman about why transparency and ethics should be at the forefront of development:

She highlighted that same facial recognition pilot:

Jo is used to a long commute home to East Dunbartonshire at the weekend.

She had a few hours’ extra to get to Aberdeen, though, for the first of two Scottish hustings.

Big turnout at the Liberal Democrats leadership hustings in Aberdeen #LibDemleadership #LibDemSurge pic.twitter.com/ufrwZiP6a3

— Ian Yuill 🔶 (@IanYuill) June 7, 2019

The Edinburgh hustings was very busy1

Packed out for Edinburgh ⁦@LibDems⁩ leadership hustings. #JoinJo #libdemsurge #LibDemLeadership ⁦@cajardineMP⁩ ⁦@joswinson⁩ pic.twitter.com/AdM2XrOT8L

— Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP🔶🇺🇦 (@agcolehamilton) June 8, 2019

And , finally, Newcastle.

https://twitter.com/Parklands_Ward/status/1137422356425535488

And in an interview with the Independent, Jo said that her style matched the political zeitgeist:

She said there was “more agreement on policy between us than you would find with the Tory contenders”. But said she believed her “non-tribal” approach to politics and ability to cut through to voters outside London and the southeast and young social media users gave her the edge.

“I’m the leader that can be the rallying point for the liberal movement that we need to create to take on the forces of nationalism and populism, the likes of Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson,” she said.

“The non-tribal way I do politics is perfect for this moment.”

Today, Jo got the backing of the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, Willie Rennie:

Sometimes it’s a battle to get the best media coverage for the party so we need a leader who has the skills necessary to be heard loudly.

“Jo is an excellent communicator and she’ll be a fantastic champion to take on the forces of nationalism and populism.”

He added: “Jo is a fantastic campaigner, who showed the determination and campaigning skill the party needs when she won her seat back from the SNP, and I’m excited to see how she brings all that energy and hard work tohttps://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/lib-dem-jo-swinson-on-unity-proxy-voting-a4162056.html the role of the leader of our party.”

And she told the Standard that she has no limits to the ambitions for the Lib Dems:

“Our job in British politics is clear,” says Swinson. “We are the rallying point for Remain, for people with liberal values. I don’t put any limits on the ambitions of the Lib Dems. Who knows what will happen — no one expected Corbyn to become leader of Labour, no one expected Trump to be President. We have a fracturing of the political system. This is an opportunity. I absolutely recognise the scale of the task but people want a different way of doing politics.” She is working with the former Change UK MPs and “recognises the courage it takes to leave a party you’ve been in for a long time”.

And she and Ed both ruled out Indyref2.

75 years from D Day, Jo remembered those who took part in the invasion:

On the 75th anniversary of D-Day we honour the courage of all those who fought & sacrificed to liberate Europe. #DDay75 https://t.co/lgzS8Xa5Er

— Jo Swinson (@joswinson) June 6, 2019

Jo appeared on Question Time with Rory Stewart last week. Today she questioned him at his first International Development Questions as Secretary of state:

I welcome the Minister to the Dispatch Box in his new Cabinet role, and I warmly welcome his clear and genuine commitment to tackling the climate emergency. Does he accept, however, that there is a contradiction between the excellent work that his Department does in helping to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency in developing countries and the way in which, through UK Export Finance, we continue​to subsidise fossil fuels to the tune of billions of pounds? Will he use his leadership in Government, in whatever form, to ensure that he pushes to stop those fossil fuel subsidies?

She had a message of good luck for Beki Sellick: