The president of the Liberal Democrats has backed Theresa May’s general election call saying her troops are “ready” for the battle on June 8.
Baroness Sal Brinton visited Aberdeen yesterday to speak with local activists ahead of the council elections on May 4.
But the senior party figure’s trip was interrupted by Mrs May’s unexpected announcement.
Yesterday the peer said the party had been preparing for a new election since the EU vote last June.
She said: “We took the decision last year after the referendum result that we would get ready for a snap general election. We have candidates ready to go across the country.
“I think we have been very clear all along that Teresa May needs to go to the country, the country is deeply unhappy about Brexit and it’s absolutely evident she is going for a hard Brexit and it’s time that the people had a say.
“The Liberal Democrats are the only party in the whole of the United Kingdom who are absolutely fighting this hard Brexit and that’s why we believe we will do extremely well in the upcoming general election.
“This is particularly important in Scotland, where so many voted Remain, for people to have the opportunity to make their views known.
“I was knocking on doors in Edinburgh yesterday and we were getting an extremely good response, including from Conservatives who had voted remain and are extremely upset with the way Theresa May has handled this.
“In the first half an hour since Theresa May’s announcement, 500 people have joined our party online.”