Tim Farron says the Lib Dems will not enter another coalition

Leader rules out 'any kind of arrangement' with major parties

The Lib Dems are seeking to make significant gains in June, after a disastrous election result in 2015 (AFP / Getty / Joel Ford)

Tim Farron has ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition government with either Labour or the Conservative Party, marking a significant shift in the party’s attitude towards power-sharing.

The Liberal Democrat leader said both Labour and the Conservatives would lead the country into a Hard Brexit and presented his party as the only option for Remain voters.

“There is no way we can countenance any kind of arrangement or coalition with the Conservative party and likewise with the Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn,” Mr Farron told The Observer.

He added that the Labour leader "accepted Hard Brexit, he voted for it. He enabled it. It has put us in the situation we are now in."

Mr Farron said former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg – who took the role of Deputy Prime Minister in a Conservative coalition in 2010 – had approved the change in policy.

The move appears to be designed to reassure Remain voters in the Conservative party who fear a Lib Dem-Labour alliance, and attract Labour Remainers angered by Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of the Brexit issue, who may be wary of the Lib Dems teaming up with the Tories again.

The Conservative Party has warned of a "coalition of chaos" if the Lib Dems, SNP and Labour joined forces, after the Green Party called for alliances in a "handful of seats'" to "stop the Tories wrecking our country".

The Liberal Democrats are seeking to make significant gains in June, after haemorrhaging support while in a coalition with the Conservative party and being reduced to just eight MPs in the 2015 election.

The party has seen a surge in support ahead of the general election, with more than 5,000 people joining the Liberal Democrats on the day Ms May called the vote.

In an announcement on its website, the party refused to rule out coalitions in the future, saying "we believe in plural politics", but vowed never to do a deal with Ms May or Mr Corbyn.

Polls put the Conservatives as many as 24 points ahead of Labour, yet both Mr Corbyn and Ms May have insisted the outcome is not certain.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the result is not a “foregone conclusion”, while Ms May said: “The election campaign has only just begun, I'm not taking anything for granted, the result is not certain."