Liberal Democrat leadership hopefuls Jo Swinson and Sir Ed Davey have both ruled out propping up any future Corbyn-led Labour government.

Speaking in a Sky News head-to-head debate, the two MPs hoping to lead the Lib Dems said they would not join a coalition headed by Jeremy Corbyn.

"Absolutely not," said Jo Swinson. "He's a Brexiteer and is a danger to our country."

She added: "There's no other explanation for the behaviour of Jeremy Corbyn other than he really wants Brexit to happen - he can lose councillors, he can lose MEPs, his party membership can vote for things at conference, and he still can't say the words 'we want a people's vote'."

Would the @LibDems leadership hopefuls prop up any future Labour government?@joswinson⁩: "@jeremycorbyn? Absolutely not... He is a danger to our country." @EdwardJDavey⁩ also says no to a coalition.



Follow the debate: https://t.co/UH8nCYBxU9 pic.twitter.com/FJKVflkRwP — Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) July 1, 2019

"No coalition with Corbyn and Labour," agreed Sir Ed.


"Partly because of his position on Brexit... but also he's a very far left politician.

"The far left have their grasp of the Labour Party - they're moving it to the far left - and that's a really damaging threat to our economy."

He said Mr Corbyn should be ashamed for "failing a generation of young people" and that the Liberal Democrats would "hold the Labour Party to account for his appalling leadership".

The two MPs are hoping to take over the leadership of the Lib Dems after Sir Vince Cable said earlier this year that he was stepping down.

On Brexit, both candidates want a second referendum and dismissed the claim the UK would not be damaged by a no-deal Brexit as a "deception" and "fantasy".

Sir Ed said if he became leader when the UK has already left the EU, he would have a policy of rejoining the union.

"We wouldn't be arguing for a third referendum. We'd respect the result of that second referendum, of course," he said.

Image: Mr Corbyn is too far left to work with, says Sir Ed Davey

Under his leadership, the party would make the case for rejoining the EU "over time", he explained, saying the failure of a no-deal Brexit would become obvious to the public within months.



"Even if they have a deal Brexit, they've got to have years of negotiation so we really wouldn't have fully have left. So there would be all to play for," said Sir Ed.

Ms Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, said "leaving doesn't mean this is over because that is the beginning of years and years of negotiations under whatever scenario you're looking at".

She said during that time her party would be looking for the "closest possible relationship" with other EU countries and reiterated that need for a "specific people's vote on a specific Brexit deal".

The @LibDems leadership hopefuls say they would not back another Scottish Independence referendum. @EdwardJDavey⁩ says it would cause "chaos" and @joswinson⁩ insists people in Scotland do not want another vote.



Follow the debate: https://t.co/UH8nCYBxU9 pic.twitter.com/Ifm4L71hYM — Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) July 1, 2019

Among the other subjects debated, the two leadership candidates both dismissed the idea of another referendum on Scottish independence and agreed the party had made a mistake increasing university tuition fees while they were in coalition with the Tories.

Ms Swinson said they had "got it wrong" by controversially reversing their long-held policy.

"If I have more money to put into education, my top priority will be investing in early years because that is where you make the biggest difference, that is where you close that attainment gap and you help social mobility," she added.

Sir Ed said the party had "compromised too far" with the Tories on the issue and that proposals for a graduate tax would have been better.

"What has gone wrong since we left was the Tories abolishing the maintenance grants, and the bursaries for student nurses," he said.

The Kingston and Surbiton MP added: "We absolutely need to make sure those grants are there as a key first step."