WATCH: 'Pardon?!' Vince Cable fluffs 'erotic' line

Liberal Democrats Leader Sir Vince Cable delivers his speech at the Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference at the Brighton Centre in Brighton Photo: PA / Gareth Fuller - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable failed to perform under pressure during his keynote conference speech stumbling over the key phrase.

Lib Dem 'how to get headlines' playbook:
Pre-brief a speech describing Brexit as an 'erotic spasm'.
When delivering the speech say instead "exotic spresm".pic.twitter.com/UBJllVr7jB
— Tim Johns (@timoncheese) September 18, 2018

Apparently embarrassed by having the phrase ‘erotic spasm’ included in his speech he fluffed it and instead blurted out ‘exotic spresm’.

The bizarre moment left delegates at the Brighton conference hall scratching their heads but Sir Vince shrugged the blooper off and continued with his address.

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The original terminology – which was an odd choice of phrase in the first place – was used to describe hardline Brexiteers’ determination to removed the UK from the European Union at any cost.

He was supposed to say: ‘For the ‘true believers’ – the fundamentalists – the costs of Brexit have always been irrelevant. Years of economic pain justified by the erotic spasm of leaving the European Union.’

His speech continued: ‘Economic pain felt – of course – not by them by those least able to afford it. And the latest piece of nastiness from Jacob Rees-Mogg – calling into question the right of Europeans to stay in Britain and of Britons to stay in Europe: creating unnecessary worry and insecurity for millions.

‘The public don’t mind what these people dream about behind closed doors – so long as their dreams don’t become nightmares for the rest of us. It really beggars belief that the army and the police are now being asked to prepare for riots in the chaotic aftermath of a botched Brexit.

‘And billions – billions – of taxpayers’ money spent preparing for disaster.’

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