Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has defended herself against accusations of allowing former Conservative MPs with illiberal views into the party.

Speaking as activists gathered for their annual conference in Bournemouth, Ms Swinson said the defection of MPs like Sam Gyimah and Phillip Lee was a sign that Lib Dems had become “the rallying point for liberal values in this country” at a time when the major parties were lurching to the extreme under leaders who were “not fit to be prime minister”.

Ms Swinson again ruled out propping up Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister following a general election, and insisted Lib Dems would not step aside to allow Labour candidates a clear run in seats where they are the main challenger to pro-Brexit Tories, like Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge and Ruislip South.

Mr Gyimah’s dramatic unveiling on Saturday as the latest in a string of MPs defecting to the Lib Dems was greeted with dismay by some activists, because of his low-tax convictions and previous endorsement of austerity policies.

And the earlier defection of Phillip Lee - which deprived Boris Johnson of his working majority in the House of Commons - was condemned by some Lib Dems because of his record of voting against same-sex marriage and campaigning to bar people with HIV from entering the country.

Former Conservative minister Sam Gyimah joins Liberal Democrats

A former chair of the Lib Dem LGBT caucus, Jennie Rigg, quit the party, describing Dr Lee as “a homophobe, a xenophobe, and someone who thinks people should be barred from the country if they are ill”.

But Ms Swinson rejected suggestions that she was allowing the Lib Dems to become a “soft Tory party”.

She told on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show: “I think what I’m leading is an exciting movement that our country desperately needs.

“We have people like Sam Gyimah coming to the Liberal Democrats and we also have people like (former Labour MPs) Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger coming together in the same party because this is where the rallying point is for liberal values in our country.”

Ms Swinson insisted that Ms Rigg’s portrayal of Dr Lee’s views was “not an accurate representation”, describing the Bracknell MP as “a supporter of equality”.

And she said: “Before anyone joins the Lib Dems they have to sit down and go through a process with our chief whip to make sure that people do share our values and it is right that we have that process.

“But what is important is that people are on a journey, people who share liberal values but have previously been in different parties, are coming together because we have a moment of national crisis.

“Together we can build something that will genuinely put our country on a better path for the future.”

Ms Swinson declined to be drawn on proposals for a “Remain alliance” pact under which anti-Brexit parties would not stand against one another at the coming election.

She confirmed that discussions were under way with parties like Plaid Cymru and the Greens, but suggested that deals were likely only in a small number of seats.

And she ruled out a pact of this kind with Labour, even in a seat like Uxbridge, where Labour ran a strong second to Mr Johnson in the 2017 election with her party far behind.

“It’s true that in the vast majority of places, the strongest, biggest party of Remain is going to be the Liberal Democrats,” she told Marr.

“But it won’t universally be the case, so of course we are in discussions with other parties who share that goal, like Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.”

Phillip Lee dramatically crossed the floor to join Jo Swinson on the Liberal Democrat benches as Boris Johnson spoke in the Commons (EPA)

She ruled out Lib Dems standing aside in favour of Rory Stewart in Penrith and the Borders, despite the former Conservative’s strong opposition to no-deal Brexit during the Tory leadership campaign.

"Let's be clear, Rory wants to make Brexit happen, he backs a Brexit deal and as Liberal Democrats we are very clear, we want to stop Brexit.

"So of course we will be standing in that seat to make sure that people have a chance to vote to stop Brexit."

She restated her refusal to enter into a coalition with Labour under Mr Corbyn, telling Marr: “Jeremy Corbyn is not going to be put into Number 10 with Liberal Democrat votes because he is not fit for that position.”