Lib Dems leapfrog Labour into second place after vowing to scrap Brexit, new poll shows

The Lib Dems have pushed Labour into third place after vowing to scrap Brexit if the party wins the next election, according to a new poll.



The latest YouGov survey for The Times put Jo Swinson's party on 23%, up four points on last week.

At the same time, Labour has dropped back two points to 21%.

But both parties still trail the Conservatives, who remain on 32%.

Delegates at the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth agreed to change the party's policy to an overtly anti-Brexit stance.

It means that if the party wins a majority at the next election, it would overturn the result of the 2016 referendum and revoke Article 50.

But critics, including some Lib Dem MPs, have said the new approach is undemocratic and will completely alienate millions who voted Leave three years ago.

Meanwhile, Labour is set for a Brexit clash of its own at its conference in Brighton next week.

The majority of members want the party to make clear it would campaign for Remain in any second referendum, but trade unions are urging Jeremy Corbyn to make clear a Labour government would not take a firm position.

The Times also reports that Labour has begun moves to revisit Tony Blair's decision to scrap Clause IV of the party's constitution.

The move 25 years ago was designed to convince voters that an incoming Labour government would not embark on a wave of mass nationalisations.

But at a meeting of the party's ruling NEC on Tuesday, it was decided to review the updated wording which replaced the original clause.

Former Labour Cabinet minister Alan Johnson said: "The version so dearly beloved by Corbyn and his doctrinaire chums was a product of 1917 and committed the party to the public ownership of everything

"The word ‘socialism’ wasn’t in it. Neither were important issues such as women’s ights even mentioned.

"I suspect Momentum will want to go back to the old wording, which they’d see as their final triumph over Blairism. Except of course that nothing can erase our three election victories or the enormous good that the Blair and Brown governments did in the causes of eradicating poverty and of greater equality."