Tim Farron: Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are cowards over Brexit
2 min read
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are “cowards” who are “too afraid of the people” to lead them through Brexit, Tim Farron will declare today.
The former Liberal Democrat leader will accuse the bosses of the two main parties of “breaking Britain” and changing their positions on Europe to “suit the weather”.
It is Mr Farron’s first major public speech since he quit as leader in the wake of the June general election, at which the party gained four seats - despite seeing a fall in its vote share.
The party has positioned itself as the anti-Brexit voice and remain committed to its pledge to hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal.
Addressing the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth, Mr Farron will say: “There is one promise that Brexit will fulfil.
"It will reduce immigration without changing a single law. Because if you turn Britain into a poorer, meaner, insular place, no-one in their right mind will choose to come here.
“So the Tories are breaking Britain to repel the immigrants. And they do it with Labour’s shameful connivance. What a disgrace.
“You can be a Corbyn or a May and change your mind on Europe to suit the weather, too afraid of the people to ever deserve to lead them.
“Leadership requires courage, not cowardice. We stand between two parties led by cowards and leading Britain to disaster.”
The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP faced repeated questioning about his Christian faith during the election campaign after initially being unclear whether he thought gay sex was a sin.
In his resignation statement he said Brits - including critics in his own party - were “kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society”.
Today he will say party activists under his leadership “saved the Liberal Democrats” after years in the doldrums following its peak performance in the 2010 election.
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