Stay with us as Jo and Ed take part in a live head to head tv debate on BBC2 and BBC News Channel in a few minutes. This is particularly important as ballot papers are despatched tomorrow.
The BBC have actually been promoting this well, too.
The pair will take questions by a studio audience comprised of Lib Dem members and voters.
And we’re off.
(UPDATE: Watch the whole thing here.
The budget doesn’t seem to have stretched to stools, thankfully.
First up – each gets a minute’s pitch
Jo says she says country is crying out for a liberal movement to stand up against the narrow nationalism Farage and Johnson. Our country deserves better, a vision of hope. We need to build an economy that puts people and planet first.
Ed says he wants to end Brexit quickly by a people’s vote. If we stay we’ll have a lot of money to tackle problems like inequality and building public services. He says that we need to green our economy and that his experience and vision are what we need. He reveals that he turned down the chance to be “double oh davey”. He chose to work for Paddy Ashdown rather than MI6.
Derbyshire challenges them that there is no time for a People’s Vote. It can’t be done by October 31st.
Jo Swinson says that we will get an extension from the EU for a People’s Vote. The prospect of a No Deal exit focuses the mind of MPs who have not yet backed a people’s vote.
Ed Davey says that MPs need to grab the order paper to require a vote by MPs before we leave.
He describes the nuclear option of a vote of no confidence in the government which could lead to a general election. He would prefer a government of national unity headed by a backbench Labour MP which will pass legislation for a People’s Vote.
Ex Lib Dem Member Luke to join Renew asks what they would do to work on a Remain Alliance.
Jo says we should do whatever it takes to stop Brexit as the threat to our country is so huge. Lib Dems are biggest, most consistent remain party. In a general election, we need to be smarter about working together. In Peterborough all of the practicalities were put in place for a Remain candidate before he pulled out at the last minute. She says that local members are important.
Ed says he agrees with Jo. We have to get the Remain vote together in a general election. He advocates tactical voting as in 1997 and 2001. He says he’d be up for going further if we are faced by the horror of a Leave alliance between Farage and Johnson. Lib Dems have been least tribal – standing down for Caroline Lucas.
Torrin Wilkins from Liberal Leave (Victoria Derbyshire observes this must be a lonely life) says if we end up with a Norway style deal after another referendum, would Lib Dems deliver that.
Jo says People’s Vote needs to have a specific Brexit on the ballot paper. In 2016, Brexit meant whatever you want it to say.
She says that now we know what Brexit means, people will be able to vote on that specific proposal.
There was a celebratory mood at the Council meeting of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in Zurich at the weekend. The May European elections sent a record 108 ALDE Party MEPs to the European Parliament, a cohort largely boosted by Emmanuel Macron’s MPs from France and Britain’s own Liberal Democrats plus Naomi Long from the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Under pressure from the French (who have a problem with the word “Liberal”, because of its economic neo-liberal resonance), the parliamentary group is renaming itself Renew Europe, but …
The Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that local resident Paula Ferguson has been selected as their Parliamentary candidate for the Winchester & Chandler’s Ford Constituency.
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