LESS than a tenth of the UK public are able to correctly identify a picture of the LibDem leadership candidates.
Only 8% of those presented with a photograph of Jo Swinson, the frontrunner in the party’s contest, were able to name her successfully.
Even among LibDem voters, only a fifth were able to say who the East Dunbartonshire MP was from her picture.
The findings come in new research from polling company YouGov.
Swinson fared only slightly better in Scotland, where she has her constituency – but even then, only 13% knew who she was.
WATCH: Jo Swinson struggles in an absolute car crash interview on LBC
Her opponent in the LibDem leadership race, Ed Davey, was even less recognisable.
Only 6% gave the correct answer when presented with a picture of the Kingston and Surbiton MP. In Scotland, the same figure was 7%.
Not a single 18 to 24-year-old surveyed knew who he was.
It comes despite the LibDems moving up to within 2% of Labour and the Tories in the most recent YouGov poll of UK voting intention.
Chris Curtis, political research manager for YouGov, said: “Whilst it’s not getting as much coverage as the Tory leadership race where the winner will also be instantly crowned prime minister, the recent LibDem surge in the polls means the new leader could still have a substantial impact on politics over the coming years.
“But despite this, just a tiny fraction of the public can identify the two candidates to be leader.
“This just goes to show that one of the big challenges for the LibDem leader will be to firmly place themselves into the ongoing political debate when the focus is often elsewhere.”
Research for the poll was carried out between June 30 and July 1 – a day before Swinson featured in a car-crash LBC interview on Scottish independence.
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