The Liberal Democrats got their manifesto in ahead of the other parties with an intimate launch in London. After a near wipe-out in the 2015 election – following their ill-fated coalition with David Cameron's Conservatives and their about-turn on university fees – the next election two years later delivered the party just 20 seats in parliament. 

The Lib Dems have taken a while to organize new leadership, but under Jo Swinson they have positioned themselves as firmly anti-Brexit.  

 

Brexit

Swinson has made it clear that, if in government, the Lib Dems would revoke Article 50 and call off the whole Brexit process. It's not without constitutional hurdles, but the real aim is to recruit disenchanted Remainers from the two big parties. Expect plenty of criticism of Boris Johnson's "get Brexit done" message and Jeremy Corbyn's lack of clarity on the issue. 

 

Are their policies green?

There's an assumption that LibDem voters are automatically keen on green issues. Whether that is true or not the climate emergency is high up in the manifesto but short on detail. The Lib Dems say they want to tackle climate change by generating 80 percent of the UK's electricity from renewables by 2030 and insulating all low-income homes by 2025. 

 

A low-key launch

By Lib Dem standards, the manifesto launch was low-key. Swinson made a brief speech, there was no podium and she spoke without notes. As far as the party is concerned Swinson's strengths are her sincerity and directness – reflected in her opening remarks, which focused on the two major parties being tired and outdated. She condemned both Corbyn and Johnson as unfit for office, reinforcing the core message that voting Lib Dem was the only way to deny power to the main parties. 

 

Any surprises?

Legalizing cannabis is tucked away under Health and Social Care. The Lib Dems lead the way on this, following well-established scientific evidence but risk the long-standing prejudices against legalizing the drug within the electorate. 

The party said the policy will "help to break the grip of the criminal gangs by introducing a legal, regulated market for cannabis. We will introduce limits on the potency levels and permit cannabis to be sold through licensed outlets to adults over the age of 18."

 

How do they differ from the other parties? 

Much of their manifesto is consistent with Lib Dem policies familiar to voters from previous campaigns. They've always explored taxation as an instrument of fairness. The manifesto contains pledges on increasing corporation tax and cracking down on its avoidance, as well as adjusting capital gains tax rules. Interestingly, their public sector spending is more conservative than the Tory plans, which have been ramped up after years of implementing austerity.