The Lib Dem’s leader in waiting: George Eaton speaks to Tim Farron

Tim Farron is a northern, left-leaning, state-educated Chrisian - and doesn't obey the party line. As one senior party figure put it, "Which bit of the sanctimonious, God-bothering, trecherous little shit is there not to like?"

By George Eaton

Tim Farron is getting emotional. Tears well up in the eyes of the Liberal Democrat MP and his voice cracks as he recounts the words of a constituent to his daughter. “The lady said to Gracie: ‘You should be really proud of your dad. We were stuck in a bedsit and he rehoused us. You should be really proud of your daddy.’”

He goes on: “If she’d told me that, I’d have said: ‘That’s very kind of you to say, but you got rehoused because hundreds of volunteers delivered shedloads of leaflets and the Liberal Democrats won elections. We built council houses and that’s how we rehoused you. So you should be dead proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.