The UK Liberal Democrats met for their Spring Conference over the weekend in Southport where they marked 30 years since the foundation of the party and repeated their call for an ‘Exit from Brexit’.

In his keynote speech to the conference, the party’s leader Sir Vince Cable said the divide opened up by the June 2016 referendum had left the country mired in a “protracted, non-violent civil war” and warned that the “toxic” fallout of the Brexit referendum is fuelling the rise of the populist right in Britain.

He lamented that the UK has a “Brexit obsessed Conservative Government: a single-issue government in a single-issue Parliament” with Brexit "sucking the life out of Westminster and Whitehall alike" and leaving urgent matters such as social care, the housing crisis and the NHS neglected. He appealed to those who oppose Brexit to unite behind the Liberal Democrats and their call for a referendum on the terms of the final deal when they were known.

"It was never a good idea to leave the EU. To leave it now borders on extreme recklessness," he added.

https://twitter.com/LibDems/status/973244267618586625?s=20

ALDE Party Vice President Henrik Back Mortensen participated in the Spring Conference on behalf of the European liberals and followed the discussions with interest. “I was very happy to attend the Spring Conference of the UK Liberal Democrats and observe the political discussions and express ALDE’s support,” he said.

“It was clear to me that the UK Liberal Democrats will seek to do everything possible to secure future British membership of the customs union and a referendum on the final deal. The party has a clear understanding of the harmfulness of Brexit to the UK and to the European Union and I was pleased to hear party leader Vince Cable stress his party’s desire to continue campaigning for an exit from Brexit. The UK Liberal Democrats have long been valued members of ALDE and in this fight, they can count on our support.”

https://twitter.com/LibDems/status/972438195295215616?s=20

The ALDE Party also had a stand at the conference centre to raise awareness about the LibDem’s activities as part of the wider ALDE family and promote the ALDE Party Individual Membership, which resulted in many new individual members.

https://twitter.com/ALDEParty/status/972465198790512641?s=20

You can watch other relevant keynote speeches on the Liberal Democrats Facebook page.