WHAT do the Lib Dems really want?

That question seemingly has a simple answer. They want to have a second referendum and they want Remain to win.

But the way leader Jo Swinson has been acting has been quite counterproductive to that goal.

She has made no secret of her hatred of Jeremy Corbyn and her rejection of an alliance with his Labour party.

But at what seems to be a huge turning point in the fight between Remain and Leave, Ms Swinson has misread the room.

Ardent Remain parties like the Lib Dems, Change UK, and the Greens have constantly laid into Mr Corbyn ever since the referendum result in 2016, either for not stopping Brexit or supposedly supporting it (sometimes interchangeable).

But now with Boris Johnson in power and Europhile Tories not happy, there may actually be a realistic chance of a Remain alliance if there are a few rebellions.

After her botched “Cabinet of unity” idea, which aimed to please everybody and ended up pleasing no one, Caroline Lucas has now pledged her support for a Labour coalition.

And the SNP seems open to the idea too, providing there is room for second independence referendum.

Unless Sinn Fein has any plans to rock up to Parliament, of which there is zero chance, that still leaves Mr Corbyn needing the support of the Lib Dems and Change UK (remember them?), who pretty much come together considering they have the exact same views.

So it is an odd time for Lib Dem leader Ms Swinson and Change UK MP Chris Leslie to double down on their criticisms of Mr Corbyn, considering he is the key to getting a second referendum.

You would think there would not be room for factions in a party with 12 MPs, but Ms Swinson does not seem to have the support of every Lib Dem. Sarah Wollaston in particular has talked about the advantages of making a deal with Labour.

As for Change UK, they have always been a little confused.

Back when they were first founded and seemed to have some shred of appeal, they voted against a customs union with the EU, which was essentially Brexit in name only.

That idea was defeated by three votes. Change UK could have prevented the ordeal we have now and chose not to for reasons that could only be guessed at.

So it will be interesting if Ms Swinson and Change UK leader Anna Soubry decide to open up to a Labour-led coalition. If they do not, Remainers will have someone new to blame for Brexit.

But if everything does work out fine for Labour, some Tories rebel, and Mr Johnson is ousted for this new coalition, there is no chance it could govern.

Mr Corbyn’s plan for a coalition government looks quite realistic. He wants to call a second referendum and then immediately call a General Election, which is probably about as much as Remain parties could agree on.

Then again there could be some strife even in that small period. Maybe the leaders will disagree on whether a second referendum should happen before or after a General Election.

Perhaps MPs will disagree on the terms of the referendum –whether it should be Remain or No Deal or some other combination.

And maybe the rebellious Tories will turn around and block a General Election, fearing the destruction of their party at the ballot box at the hands of the Brexit Party.

This is diving into speculation now, but the point is there is no guarantee a Labour-led coalition could succeed in delivering a second referendum and election unless there are robust talks between all party leaders beforehand.

With parliamentary majorities fragile for both the Tories and the Remainers, it will only take a few rebels from either side to derail their plans.

And even if a second referendum or a General Election occurs, that may not be the end of the ordeal.

Just because a second referendum is called does not mean Remain will win.

The way parties like the Lib Dems and Change UK have acted certainly has not made them popular with the general public, despite good results in the European elections.

It will be a hard job for them to win over Brexiteers.

A second referendum is certainly a risky move, because loss for Remain means a no deal Brexit.

Perhaps a General Election will solve things, but at present it does not look like any party will get a majority.

Essentially, I have no idea what is going to happen. Anyone who pretends they do is lying.

But for Remainers who want the best, and probably only, chance of stopping Brexit, an alliance with Labour is a must.