Tim Farron promises an all-out fight against a “bargain basement” Brexit The Liberal Democrats will use their voting strength in the House of Lords to try to thwart Theresa May’s “bargain […]

The Liberal Democrats will use their voting strength in the House of Lords to try to thwart Theresa May’s “bargain basement” approach towards Brexit, the party’s leader has said.

On the eve of Article 50 being triggered, Tim Farron accused the Prime Minister of “twisting” the result of last year’s referendum to lead Britain towards a vision of hard Brexit outside the single market which was not on the ballot paper.

“I’m up for not despairing. I’m up for continuing to fight” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Tim Farron

He argued that workers’ rights and parental leave, as well as action to combat climate change, were under threat from moves to tear up European legislation.

He told i : “We’re putting the government on notice that we will use all of our might in both Houses of Parliament to prevent the government throwing away civil liberties just to keep the Ukip wing that now controls the Tory Party happy.”

Although his party has just nine MPs, his comments will be ominous for ministers are there are more than 100 Lib Dem peers in the Lords, where the Conservatives are in a minority.

Echoes Labour warning

It echoes a warning by shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who told i last week that Labour would mount a strong parliamentary battle during the Brexit process to protect the economy, jobs and consumer rights.

But Mr Farron claimed that Labour, and some pro-Remain Tories, had fallen into despair at the prospect of Brexit and lacked the stomach for a fight.

“I’m up for not despairing. I’m up for continuing to fight, because over these next two years the detail will become increasingly obvious. Brexit will cease to be a blank sheet of paper,” he said.

“We have got the ability to really shift the outcome in the Lords and in the Commons if the other parties are prepared to step up to the mark.”

He repeated his call for a referendum to be held in 2019 over any deal which Mrs May negotiates with EU leaders.

The Lib Dem leader said people were entitled to “look over the cliff-edge” at that point and to opt to remain in the bloc if they did not like what they saw.

May ‘twisting the will of the people’

He denied wanting to subvert the result of the vote, saying: “If we end up opting for a bargain basement strategy that is twisting the will of the people.”

The Lib Dem membership has more than doubled since the general election and now stands at 86,700, according to Tim Farron.

Mr Farron argued that Brexit amounted to a “reset button” in British politics and his party was winning over liberal Tories as well as Labour supporters frustrated that their party was “neither fish nor fowl” on the issue.

He said the party’s membership had more than doubled since the general election and now stood at 86,700.