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Lib Dem grandees Vince Cable and Paddy Ashdown today warned new leader Tim Farron to stop demanding Britain stays inside the EU.

The first splits over Mr Farron's controversial demand for a second EU referendum opened up at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, as ex-Business Secretary Sir Vince said it was “disrespectful and counter-productive” to tell people they got the Brexit vote wrong.

New leader Mr Farron will use his party conference speech tomorrow to again demand a second EU poll once the terms of Brexit are finalised.

But Sir Vince said: "The public have voted. I think it's seriously disrespectful - and politically utterly counter-productive - to say 'sorry guys, you got it wrong', you've got to try again."

He said pro-Europeans should instead focus on setting out demands for a 'soft Brexit ' that keeps Britain in the lucrative EU single market.

(Image: Western Mail)

Another party grandee, former leader Paddy Ashdown, also said Lib Dems must accept the result of the referendum and instead push for a deal with Brussels that keeps Britain "as close to Europe as possible".

He said: "Given a choice between in and out we’d like to go back in - but we don’t have that choice because the British people have spoken," Lord Ashdown said.

"If it has to be out, then it’s as close to Europe as possible. But we accept that judgement."

Lord Ashdown denied any split with his leader, however, adding: “That is the position exactly that the leader has described. We are not abandoning our position that Britain is better off inside, as that choice is not in front of us. The referendum put that to bed. Who knows, sometime in the future, it may come back."

(Image: Rob Stothard)

Over the weekend Mr Farron made clear he sees a second referendum on the terms of Theresa May's Brexit deal as the best way of keeping Britain in the EU.

“There needs to be a referendum on that deal - that is the best option for us staying in," he told the BBC.

Former leader Nick Clegg - now the party's EU spokesman - backed the leader's stance but said the Lib Dems should avoid talk of a 'second referendum' on the doorstep.

(Image: Getty Images)

Discussing campaign tactics with grassroots members, Mr Clegg said: "Over 17million people voted to Leave. We accept that without question.

"We are certainly not advocating a second referendum... We are advocating a first referendum on what the actual terms of departure are. That's a perfectly reasonable thing to say."