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Zoe Catchpole, Political Reporter

Here's what you need to know about the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the man pitching to be the main voice of the opposition in British politics.

Who is he?

A fell-running, dog-owning, dyed-in-the-wool Liberal and one of life's nice guys.

He's got that affable Northerner thing in spades, although he was once referred to by a senior Lib Dem as a "sanctimonious, God-bothering, treacherous little ****" after voting against the party on tuition fees and bedroom tax.

Mr Farron was brought up by a single mother in Preston and was interested in politics from young age. He describes himself as centre-left.

He's a grafter who has worked to increase the majority in his Westmorland and Lonsdale seat from 300 when he won it in 2005 to 9,000 in 2015.

He is perhaps a more natural leader than he may seem - he was once the frontman of a band described as a fourth-rate New Order.

Unique Selling Point?

He's not Jeremy Corbyn and he's got a second EU referendum to offer.

Mr Farron is mining the rich seam of not being the Labour leader, telling voters Mr Corbyn is the worst opposition in history so it's time to vote Lib Dem and give Theresa May a challenge.

That and, according to Nick Clegg, he does a "terrifyingly" good Nigel Farage impression. (Mr Farron helped coach the former party leader for his TV head-to-head with Mr Farage).

Family life?

Married to Rosie and they have four children - two boys and two girls. They live in Milnthorpe in Mr Farron's constituency.

State or private?

State. Lostock Hall High School in Preston and then a politics degree at Newcastle University.

Inspiration?

Doyenne of the Liberal Democrats, Baroness Williams. He read one of her books at the age of 16 when studying for his politics O-Level and joined the party.

He has also cited Liberal Party leader Jo Grimond, Clash singer Joe Strummer and CS Lewis as his heroes.

High point?

Becoming Lib Dem leader, albeit from a small pool of eight Lib Dems. It was between him and North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb.

But don't let Mr Farron's affable exterior fool you into thinking he's not a political player.

He might not have been picked for a ministerial post under the Coalition but he did become president of the party.

When he was 11 he won a seat on the school council by putting his mate up to split the opposition. In later years he said: "I've always been a devious bugger."

Low point?

Most times he stands up at Prime Minister's Questions these days. He is routinely jeered, or ignored, or introduced by the Speaker as: "And finally Tim Farron."

It's earned him the moniker Tiny Tim (Farron).

Top tweet?

This canny tweet of an election poster from back in the day when he fought for the North West Durham seat in 1992 against one Theresa May.

They both lost out to Labour but he lost harder than she did.

Tweeted in April this year, it earned him more than 3,000 retweets

Most likely to say?

We'll give you another EU referendum.

That, and: "Smell my spaniel." This has potential to become the phrase of the 2017 election.

Mr Farron was caught on camera telling a voter in Cambridge: "Smell my spaniel."

However, it seems the voter had a dog who could smell Farron's own dog and, well, misunderstandings being what they are…

Mr Farron handled it well with this response from his dog, Jasper.

Least likely to say?

"We don't do God." Just as Tony Blair famously didn't, so Mr Farron famously does. He says he asked God before pitching for the leadership.

Don't mention?

Gay sex. Again.

He got into all sorts of trouble by refusing to say whether he thought gay sex was a sin - four times in an interview.

After that everyone asked him about it. Eventually he said he didn't think it was sin, admitting he had let it become an election issue.

Most likely to be replaced by?

Slim pickings right now and no suggestion that he's for the high jump. It depends on the election outcome and the return of any prominent Lib Dems.

Closest political ally?

Quite possibly Tony Blair right now. He's met the former Labour PM, who has suggested people should vote Lib Dem to help get Tory MPs out on Brexit grounds.

Mr Blair has also said he probably has more in common with the Lib Dems than Labour at the moment.

Thorn in side?

Vince Cable, who is on the comeback trail and stands a good chance of taking back his Twickenham seat.

And he's good at being a bit of a problem. He's already said Mr Farron's call for a second EU referendum is "disrespectful".

Back in the heady days of 2015 before everything changed, Mr Cable said that Mr Farron had no "credibility".