Liberal Democrats promise to 'protect Britain's place in Europe' as they unveil manifesto

In promising to hold a second EU referendum, the Liberal Democrats' manifesto is the only one that makes it explicitly possible for the UK to remain in the EU

Tim Farron says that only his party can be trusted not to deliver a hard Brexit (PA)

The Liberal Democrats have made a second EU referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal the central pledge of their election manifesto, and pledged to use the next parliament to “protect Britain’s place in Europe.”

Leader Tim Farron said voters “don’t have to accept Theresa May and Nigel Farage’s extreme version of Brexit that will wreck the future for you, your family, your schools and hospitals.”

The Liberal Democrats have been harshly criticised by Brexiteers for their policy of offering a second referendum, which Brexit Secretary David Davis has said would incentivise Brussels to offer the UK an especially poor deal, in the hope it might force British voters to back staying in the EU.

He recently told one of the party’s nine MPs, Tom Brake, to “engage your brain” on the issue.

No other party manifesto provides a route through which the UK could remain in the European Union.

Elsewhere, the party has said it could raise £1bn in taxes by legalising cannabis.

The party had also pledged to protect per-pupil funding in England, which will cost £7bn over five years.

In the manifesto it is goes further, saying it will extend free school meals to all primary schools and triple funding for the early years pupil premium, boosting it to £1,000.

It has also announced a scheme by which social housing tenants could own their homes after paying rent on them for 30 years.

They are also pledging to slash the cost of bus passes for 16- to 21-year-olds by two thirds.