Lib Dems hint at Labour coalition at next general election to 'oust' Boris Johnson

The Liberal Democrats have hinted they could offer a coalition partnership with Labour at the next general election to “oust” Boris Johnson.

Deputy leader Daisy Cooper was asked three times in a row whether the party would consider a pact with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour - and three times refused to answer the question.

Asked a fourth time on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Cooper again dodged a proper answer but did offer a hint as she said: “The Liberal Democrats have said that we want to win as many seats as possible off the Conservatives at the next general election, and one way or another we would like to play a role in ousting this Conservative government.

“It’s far too soon to say what that might look like or how that might work, but we would want to play a role in ousting this Conservative government, that's our number one priority.”

A Labour coalition would be a more realistic path to power for the party, which during the 2019 general election campaign was told by then-leader Jo Swinson that it could win hundreds of seats. It won 11.

However, it has recently experienced a resurgence, winning the North Shropshire and Chesham and Amersham by-elections.

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And it built on those successes in this week’s local elections, gaining control of five councils and adding 188 councillors.

Leader Sir Ed Davey said on Friday the results are a “turning point” following seven years of electoral struggles since propping up David Cameron’s Tory government in the coalition between 2010 and 2015.

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Cooper, meanwhile, categorially ruled out such a coalition happening again.

"We are second place to the Conservatives in about 80 seats around the country and those are the areas where we will be targeting Conservative MPs with the aim of ousting them."