The LibDems could win as many as 200 seats, according to Chukka Umunna, as it seeks to capitablise on its backing for a general election before Brexit has been completed.

It means the party will be able to campaign to revoke article 50 on a clear pro-Remain message in contrast to Labour’s “dithering” over its position on Brexit and whether to back an election.

“I would hope we get more than 40 seats at a general election,” said Mr Umunna, who is standing in one of the party’s target London seats of Westminster where the sitting Tory MP Mark Field is standing down after being suspended for grabbing a climate change protester by the neck.

The former Labour MP who is now party’s foreign affairs spokesman, has, however, also talked up the prospect of the party transforming the electoral landscape with a 200 seat gain if it can unite the Remain vote.

”We know from internal polling that if we move from the position that we are in and say there is a 1.5 to 2 percent swing we can get up to 100 seats,” he said. “If there’s a five percent swing towards the Liberal Democrats throughout the … campaign, 200 seats are in contention.”