Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson is intensifying her assault on Boris Johnson in a speech in which she will accuse him of repeatedly lying and dragging the office of prime minister “through the mud”.
A day after launching a poster campaign accusing the PM of “lying to the Queen”, Ms Swinson will return to the attack with a warning that voters cannot trust anything he says.
The focus on Mr Johnson comes after Lib Dems pivoted their general election campaign away from claiming that they could form the next government and onto a pitch that a vote for Ms Swinson’s party is the best way of preventing a Conservative majority government that would deliver a hard Brexit.
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In a speech in London on Thursday, Ms Swinson will say that Mr Johnson’s whole life has been about becoming Prime Minister “not out of some deep-seated desire to make people’s lives better, but out of some sense of Etonian entitlement”.
She will say: “Boris Johnson only cares about Boris Johnson. And he will do whatever it takes, sacrifice whatever is needed, to get what he wants.
“This is a man who decided which side to support in the EU referendum by game-playing whether it would get him the keys to Number 10.”
1/43 Seats to watch in south-west England
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2/43 General election 2019 poll of polls
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3/43 General election 2019 timetable
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4/43 General election 2019 opinion polls
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5/43 Applications to register to vote
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6/43 How many women MPs could there be after the election?
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7/43 General election 2019 opinion polls in Wales
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8/43 A comparison of the length of the manifestos of the main parties
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9/43 Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
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10/43 Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
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11/43 Leaders’ approval ratings
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12/43 General election 2019 leaders’ visits
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13/43 Council houses built in the UK 1951-2018
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15/43 Opinion polls v election result 2015
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16/43 Opinion polls v election result 2017
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17/43 General election 2019 target seats
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18/43 Lib Dem targets
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19/43 SNP targets
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20/43 Plaid Cymru targets
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21/43 Prime ministers with shortest time in office
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22/43 Applications to register to vote
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23/43 Major toll roads & bridges in Great Britain
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24/43 Police workforce in England and Wales
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26/43 Police-recorded homicides in England and Wales
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27/43 Knife crime offences recorded by police in England and Wales
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28/43 Opinion polls in 2019
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29/43 Number of candidates per seat
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30/43 Candidates standing in the 2019 General Election
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31/43 Candidates at UK general elections since 1979
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32/43 Women candidates at the 2019 General Election
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33/43 Prime ministers with smallest constituency majorities to defend
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34/43 Cost of administering polls since 2010
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35/43 People’s Vote group priority list of recommended candidates in key target seats
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36/43 MPs retiring from the House of Commons at general elections
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37/43 Lib Dems/Plaid Cymru/Green pact in Wales
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38/43 Lib Dems/Green pact in England, seats where Greens have stood down in favour of Lib Dems
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39/43 Lib Dems/Green pact in England
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40/43 Nationality of NHS workforce in England
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41/43 Proportion of NHS workforce in England who are not UK nationals
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42/43 Long-term net migration to the UK
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43/43 Shortest parliamentary sessions since First World War
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1/43 Seats to watch in south-west England
Press Association Images
2/43 General election 2019 poll of polls
Press Association Images
3/43 General election 2019 timetable
Press Association Images
4/43 General election 2019 opinion polls
Press Association Images
5/43 Applications to register to vote
Press Association Images
6/43 How many women MPs could there be after the election?
Press Association Images
7/43 General election 2019 opinion polls in Wales
Press Association Images
8/43 A comparison of the length of the manifestos of the main parties
Press Association Images
9/43 Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
Press Association Images
10/43 Mentions of key words in the main party manifestos
Press Association Images
11/43 Leaders’ approval ratings
Press Association Images
12/43 General election 2019 leaders’ visits
Press Association Images
13/43 Council houses built in the UK 1951-2018
Press Association Images
14/43 Council houses built in the UK
Press Association Images
15/43 Opinion polls v election result 2015
Press Association Images
16/43 Opinion polls v election result 2017
Press Association Images
17/43 General election 2019 target seats
Press Association Images
18/43 Lib Dem targets
Press Association Images
19/43 SNP targets
Press Association Images
20/43 Plaid Cymru targets
Press Association Images
21/43 Prime ministers with shortest time in office
Press Association Images
22/43 Applications to register to vote
Press Association Images
23/43 Major toll roads & bridges in Great Britain
Press Association Images
24/43 Police workforce in England and Wales
Press Association Images
25/43 Police officers in England and Wales
Press Association Images
26/43 Police-recorded homicides in England and Wales
Press Association Images
27/43 Knife crime offences recorded by police in England and Wales
Press Association Images
28/43 Opinion polls in 2019
Press Association Images
29/43 Number of candidates per seat
Press Association Images
30/43 Candidates standing in the 2019 General Election
Press Association Images
31/43 Candidates at UK general elections since 1979
Press Association Images
32/43 Women candidates at the 2019 General Election
Press Association Images
33/43 Prime ministers with smallest constituency majorities to defend
Press Association Images
34/43 Cost of administering polls since 2010
Press Association Images
35/43 People’s Vote group priority list of recommended candidates in key target seats
Press Association Images
36/43 MPs retiring from the House of Commons at general elections
Press Association Images
37/43 Lib Dems/Plaid Cymru/Green pact in Wales
Press Association Images
38/43 Lib Dems/Green pact in England, seats where Greens have stood down in favour of Lib Dems
Press Association Images
39/43 Lib Dems/Green pact in England
Press Association Images
40/43 Nationality of NHS workforce in England
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41/43 Proportion of NHS workforce in England who are not UK nationals
Press Association Images
42/43 Long-term net migration to the UK
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43/43 Shortest parliamentary sessions since First World War
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Ms Swinson will add: “You cannot trust a word Boris Johnson says. The man will say anything if it means getting what he wants.
“He lied to the three million other EU countries’ citizens in the UK when he told them he would guarantee their right to stay.
“He lied when he said that no Conservative prime minister would ever put a border down the Irish Sea.
“He lied when he said over and over that we would leave the European Union by 31 October.”
“He lied when he said he would rather be dead in a ditch than ask for an extension to Article 50.
“Well, there might not be a ditch, but Boris Johnson has dragged the office of prime minister through the mud.”
Stressing the qualities which voters should look for in a politician, Ms Swinson will say: “What matters the most – and is almost impossible to learn – is caring.
“Caring about the people in your community and in your country, so that your decisions are based on what you genuinely believe to be best for them.
“I say it is impossible to learn, which perhaps is just as well as I am not sure Boris Johnson has time for lessons on caring alongside his technology lessons.”