Vince Cable: Liberal Democrats' revoke Article 50 promise is a ‘distraction’

Sir Vince Cable, seen here on Sky News, told BBC's Today programme that the Lib Dem revoke Article 50 promise is a 'distraction'. Photograph: Sky. - Credit: Archant

The former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has hit out at his party’s flagship policy to revoke Article 50 if it wins a majority.

Since Jo Swinson took over from Sir Vince in July, the party adopted a policy at conference to cancel Brexit without a second referendum from the moment it would take power.

LETTERS: The problem with the Lib Dem and Labour election campaigns WATCH: Jo Swinson holds back tears in revealing interview about her fatherHowever, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Vince said that he found the strategy “wildly improbable”.

He said: “I’ve always argued that actually it was wildly improbable.

“We were never going to get 350 MPs, so the policy had been and should be to argue for the People’s Vote, going back to the public, to the referendum with support for Remain.

“So the revoke was a distraction and not a very helpful one.”

The policy, which was adopted at conference, initially polled very positively among party supporters in the summer, when Lib Dems took 16 MEP seats in the EU elections.