Jo Swinson’s first big speech as Lib Dem leader: here’s what she said – and what she really meant

Our chief political commentator reads between the lines of the new Liberal Democrat leader’s first major speech

What Jo Swinson said: In just 11 weeks, our country faces an immediate crisis. Crashing out of the EU without any deal. The most cavalier and catastrophic of Brexits, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs, public services, including our NHS, and even our national security.

What she really meant: But if I say it in a really flat voice, it sounds as if I am talking about a minor admin problem in a parish council.

What she said: So in this moment of national emergency, I stand ready to work with anyone to stop Boris Johnson and his hard-line Brexit government.

What she meant: I stand ready to work with anyone except Jeremy Corbyn.

What she said: Despite saying a no deal is a million to one chance, that is clearly the destination that Boris Johnson is headed towards.

What she meant: I can read and I have ears, and that is what the prime minister has also said consistently ever since.

What she said: He was prepared to say anything in his selfish quest to become prime minister at all costs. And there will be costs.

What she meant: My quest to become prime minister – even temporarily – is completely unselfish.

What she said: A no-deal Brexit is an utterly irresponsible pursuit. No decent public servant should even contemplate risking that level of damage to our country.

What she meant: I call upon all civil servants to rise up against the democratic government of the country.

What she said: A no-deal Brexit is bad for our family of nations... bad for the NHS... bad for our environment.

What she meant: But it could be quite good for the Liberal Democrats. Sarah Wollaston defected to us yesterday and, if there is an election, we could hoover up Labour votes as long as Corbyn carries on trying to face both ways on Brexit.

What she said: Boris Johnson is playing with fire. Playing with jobs. What will he tell a father who has lost his job? Telling him to cheer up in Latin just won’t wash. Boris Johnson, stop playing with our country’s future.

What she meant: Boris Johnson is good at cheering people up. My job is to make people miserable.

What she said: He hasn’t got a mandate for no-deal Brexit. Even Michael Gove said earlier this year: “We didn’t vote to leave without a deal – that wasn’t the message of the campaign I helped lead.”

What she meant: That was quite a clever idea, to put his greatest rival in charge of no-deal planning.

What she said: There is no majority in the country for crashing out of the EU without a deal – and there is no majority in parliament either.

What she meant: I’ll mention “the country” first because otherwise the Tories will present this as the people versus parliament, and no one knows what the people think because they can argue about opinion polls for ever.

What she said: Let me be clear.

What she meant: This is the part where it’ll get fuzzy.

What she said: We are running out of time. But this no-deal Brexit crisis can and must be stopped. When parliament returns, if MPs choose, we can pass a law to stop no deal on 31 October. This is the time for MPs to stand and be counted. Just saying no to no deal is not enough. As well as willing the end, MPs must be prepared to will the means.

What she meant: I am prepared to do anything to stop Brexit – I mean a no-deal Brexit – apart from the two things that would stop it, namely (a) voting for a deal, and (b) uniting behind a single candidate as a temporary prime minister to agree an extension to Article 50.