Jo Swinson has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Swinson, the MP for East Dunbartonshire, competed against Sir Ed Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, for the leadership of the party.
Swinson will be the first woman to lead the Liberal Democrats, and will succeed Sir Vince Cable.
First elected in 2005, Swinson was Employment Minister between 2012 to 2015 in the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition Government.
She was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats having received 47,997 votes compared to 28,021 votes for Davey.
Speaking about her victory, Swinson said she was both “honoured and delighted” to be elected leader and described the Liberal Democrats as a family and hoped to “grow the open liberal movement that our country needs”.
Swinson paid tribute to fellow leadership candidate Sir Ed Davey, saying she had a “huge amount of respect for Ed” adding that “he was an exceptional minister in Government”
Swinson voiced her opinion on the Conservative leadership contest, criticising the man who is expected to be the next Prime Minister saying “Boris Johnson only cares about Boris Johnson ” and that she believes he “isn’t fit to be prime minister”.
In her closing remarks, Swinson urged voters who want to see change and feel disillusioned with politics to join the Liberal Democrats declaring “lets change politics, so we can transform our country”.
Featured Image: The Press and Journal
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