A LIB DEM leader hopeful has revealed that she was detained by police after slapping her ex-boyfriend in a fight.

In a shock admission yesterday the Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran confessed she lashed out after getting into a row with her former partner.

2 Layla Moran was one of four female Lib Dem MPs elected to parliament in June 2017 Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Her revelations shocked and divided the party - with some praising her as brave while others demanded she stand down.

The 36-year-old wrote in a statement online she was coming clean about the domestic violence incident in response to "rumours" that had been circulating about an incident at a party conference in Glasgow.

Ms Moran said in relation to ex-boyfriend Richard: "In 2013, [we] had a row at the autumn conference in Glasgow that initially began over a lost computer cable.

"The relationship had come under enormous strain in preceding months and regrettably, it escalated and in the heat of the moment I slapped him because I felt threatened.

"We both recognise it wasn't our finest hour and were, both at the time and continue to be, grateful that the police mediated, and calmed things down."

She was charged by the case was later dropped.

It comes just weeks after she admitted she was thinking about running for leader of the Liberal Democrats after Vince Cable announced he would stand down.

Ms Moran has been tipped as one of the frontrunners for the contest, alongside fellow MPs Jo Swinson and Ed Davey.

Some activists praised her for being honest and urged her to stand for leader, but others slammed her for playing down the incident and said it would have been different if she were a woman.

Lib Dem Baroness Hussein-Ece said it was "very courageous of you to share this" and added "we all have a past and private lives, we are only human".

And councillor Alex Hegenbarth said: "Thank you for taking the brave step of sharing your story."

Hi everyone. I have a story I want to share.... pic.twitter.com/iy9uKOCKau — Layla Moran 🔶 (@LaylaMoran) March 23, 2019

Another party councillor, Nick da Costa, added: "Thank you for sharing @LaylaMoran! It’s very brave of you to do so, and you are an inspiration."

But others said her admission should force her to reconsider running altogether, and some called on her to quit as an MP too.

Former councillor Julian Heather hit back: "As Lib Dems we ought to condemn domestic violence, whoever commits it."

Another supporter wrote online: "Imagine if the genders were switched. Domestic violence is not courageous or inspiring. It is disgusting. Shame."

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Tory MP Philip Davies told The Sun: "Domestic Violence is completely unacceptable irrespective of whether the man or woman is the victim or perpetrator.

"However, I suspect the reaction of some MPs would have been rather different if I had been a male MP admitting domestic violence against a woman.

"These double standards are not acceptable and I trust that the feminists in Parliament who campaign on the issue of domestic violence speak out about this. I am not holding my breath."

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "We were aware of the personal nature of the statement issued by Layla, with Richard’s support, and hope that their privacy is respected."

2 Vince Cable has said he will soon step down as Lib Dem leader Credit: PA:Press Association

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