LIBDEM chief Jo Swinson was accused of “utterly grotesque” hypocrisy yesterday as she defended her new hardline position on Brexit.

Over the weekend, at their conference in Bournemouth, delegates of the fourth party backed a motion to effectively stop the UK leaving the EU.

If the LibDems win a majority of MPs at the next election they will revoke Article 50, overturning the result of the 2016 referendum.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Swinson was asked why if the SNP won a majority of seats in Scotland she wouldn’t allow them to hold indyref2.

Show host Justin Webb asked the politician: “If they go into an election in Scotland – it seems like such a fundamental hypocrisy on your behalf – and say to the Scottish people, ‘we want to have a second referendum campaign and there’s no need for anything except your endorsement at that election,’ it’s the same as you going into an election saying what you’re saying to everyone else.”

The BBC presenter continued: “It’s a principle. It’s not about what the result might be, it’s a point of principle.

“Either you can overturn a referendum by putting something in your manifesto and getting elected or you can’t.”

Swinson denied this was true: “The SNP’s typical playbook is going into elections not mentioning independence, saying to people all sorts of other things they’re voting for. They say it’s not about independence then, after the vote, they claim it as a mandate.

“I want our country to thrive, Scotland in the UK and the UK in the EU. The problem right now, whether it’s a People’s Vote or whether a general election can resolve, is how to get out of that chaos. What we’re talking about in terms of Scotland is the idea of an independence referendum adding more chaos into an already difficult situation.”

The LibDem leader continued: “I’m saying the last thing Scotland needs right now is indyref 2. We’re better off staying together.”

Kirsty Blackman, the SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster said Swinson was guilty of “utterly grotesque” hypocrisy and acting in a way that was “neither liberal nor democratic".

She added: “Her arrogance in thinking she can stand in the way of the electoral verdict of the people of Scotland is appalling. She and Willie Rennie are every bit as anti-democratic as Boris Johnson.

“It seems she only believes in democracy when it suits her and is happy to ignore the fact that Liberal Democrat supporters across the UK now back a referendum on Scottish independence.”

Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said Swinson was taking her party “into dangerous territory”.

“No matter which side you campaigned for, political parties should respect the result of referendums.

“But just like Nicola Sturgeon, Jo Swinson and Willie Rennie are now saying that they get to pick and choose which referendums should be honoured and which should be ignored.

“Jo Swinson and Nicola Sturgeon are peas from the same pod.”

Swinson is due to speak to her party conference today. It will be the first time the East Dunbartonshire MP addresses delegates as leader.

She is expected to tell them there is “no limit” to her ambition for the party and that she is their candidate to be the next Prime Minister.

Swinson will also make a direct appeal to Scots to back the Lib Dems, and play a part “in a growing, strengthening, winning campaign across the UK.”

The votes of Scottish constituencies will, she’ll argue, give the Lib Dems the final push they need to stop Brexit: “We together voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union and together we can stop Brexit.”