Sir Vince Cable faced humiliation on Thursday after European Union leaders disowned claims that they had backed calls for a second Brexit referendum.

The Liberal Democrats said that eight Liberal prime ministers had agreed a joint statement calling for the British people to be given a “final say” on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal deal.

But the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) quickly distanced itself from the claims and said “no statement has been agreed upon or released”.

If the eight prime ministers had backed such a statement it would have represented a major challenge to Theresa May, the Prime Minister, as she arrived in Brussels for a summit of EU leaders to urge them to agree the terms of a Brexit transition period.

It would also have likely sparked a major backlash among Brexiteers and prompted fears of EU leaders trying to thwart the UK’s departure from the bloc.