Clegg: Poor, insecure and vulnerable already paying price of Theresa May’s hard brexit

Nick Clegg is to make his first major intervention of the election campaign this afternoon in a speech at the National Liberal Club.

The former Deputy Prime Minister will criticise Theresa May for her pursuit of a hard Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn for his inept opposition.

He will point to analysis showing the average UK household is set to be £500 worse off this year than it was in 2016, and stress that only the Liberal Democrats are capable of providing this Conservative government with the opposition the country desperately needs.

He is expected to say:

"My argument today is simple: Our country cannot thrive without a strong economy. We can't have a strong economy and a hard Brexit.

"Theresa May alone is responsible for pursuing this course. It is already hurting the very people who need most help in society. So the question in this election is this: who will hold Theresa May accountable for the economic harm she will inflict on Britain?

"Judging by the reports of last week's lunch between Jean-Claude Junker and the Prime Minister, the Conservatives are once again proving to be as incompetent in doing the right thing for the country as they are ruthless in chasing votes.

"The economic damage is already being felt by the people who the Tories have always cared about least: the poor, the insecure and the vulnerable.

"If Theresa May really cared about the Just About Managing, the very last thing she should do is impose a hard Brexit on them."