Sunday 8 May 2022 05:35 PM Surging Lib Dems refuse to rule out coalition with Labour trends now

The Lib Dems today refused to rule out a coalition with Labour after claims of a back-room deal during the local elections.

Deputy leader Daisy Cooper insisted the party's main aim was to get Boris Johnson and the Tories out of power.

But she repeatedly dodged on the prospect of a tie-up to govern with Keir Starmer, saying it is 'too soon' to make any decisions.

The Lib Dems emerged as the big winners from the council polls last week, gaining hundreds of seats and making inroads into so-called 'Blue Wall' Conservative heartlands in the South and West. 

However, the vote shares suggested that Labour is still some way off winning an overall majority - raising questions about what alliances Sir Keir could make to get into No10. 

The Tories complained that there was already a de facto deal in place before the May 5 battle, something that was denied by both the Lib Dems and Labour. 

Asked several times on Sky News whether her party was ruling out a coalition with Labour, Ms Cooper said: 'The Liberal Democrats have said that we want to win as many seats as possible off the Conservatives at the next general election and one way or another we would like to play a role in ousting this Conservative government.

'It is far too soon – what that might look like, how that might work, but we would want to play a role in ousting this Conservative government, that's our number one priority.'