11:04

Jane Dodds echoed the warning of the first minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, that these were dangerous times for the union.

She said: “The Liberal Democrats are a party that want to stay as part of the United Kingdom. We want to stay in Europe. We see that as healthy for our communities. We have to stay in Europe and we have to stay in this bigger team.”

Turning to the farming, a key issue during the by-election campaign, she said:

“October, November and December are peak times to sell Welsh lamb. There are two issues for farmers – firstly, how are they going to cope with 40% tariffs on their lamb exports. The second is mental health. Farming is the profession with the highest suicide rate. These are real concerns.”

She called for Boris Johnson to return to Wales and have proper discussions with farmers. “I want him to come and have really robust discussion with our farmers here.”

Asked if there will be constituencies where the Lib Dems will not stand at the next general election to clear the way for Plaid Cymru or the Greens, she said: “We’ll certainly be having those discussions. It’s too early to say at the moment. We want to reach out across political divides to find ways of working together. I will be looking for opportunities for that to happen.”

She rejected the idea that it was awkward representing a constituency that voted to leave the EU. “I’m here for everybody whether they voted for remain or Brexit,” she said. “We were always up front about being the party of remain.”