Voters dislike Jo Swinson the more they see her. That was the verdict of a poll this week revealing that even Remain voters are turning away from the Lib Dem leader, despite the party’s fervent anti-Brexit pitch. In the summer, those asked about Swinson were apathetic: they didn’t know who she was. Now that she is more familiar, people are not impressed. For those who want Britain to stay in the EU – and even for the public generally – Swinson is not as popular as her party.
It’s a brave move then for the Lib Dems to put Swinson front and centre of their general election campaign. The party’s battle bus is emblazoned with a big picture of Swinson alongside the caption: ‘Jo Swinson’s Liberal Democrats’.
It’s the same story on the party’s manifesto, which came out today:
And it’s also true of the Lib Dem website.
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