Theresa May has been likened by Sir Vince Cable to a hostage “handcuffed to a radiator in the basement of a flat in Beirut” as the Lib Dem leader criticised the Prime Minister’s handling of Brexit.

Sir Vince said Mrs May was at the mercy of Eurosceptic Tory MPs and that if she does not listen to their concerns over the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union “she’ll be out”.

He also claimed that Brexit might not happen because the Government is so “horribly unprepared” for negotiations with Brussels.

Sir Vince told Buzzfeed that the Prime Minister was in a “very awkward position” on Brexit.