Sir Vince Cable has offered voters the possibility of an "exit from Brexit" after being confirmed as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The former business secretary, 74, succeeds Tim Farron, who stood down in the wake of the General Election because of questions around his faith.

The June election saw the Lib Dems increase their tally of MPs from eight to 12, a modest revival after being almost wiped out in 2015.

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Sir Vince Cable: I can see Brexit not happening

Sir Vince, who is the party's oldest ever leader, said the Government's handling of Brexit was taking the UK towards the "disastrous outcome" of crashing out of the EU.


Negotiations were being conducted by a "dysfunctional, disorganised, disunited" Government, whose strategy was devised before the full complexity of Brexit became apparent, he said, and during a time when Theresa May had "serious political authority", something she has now lost.

He said the Lib Dems would work with like-minded individuals in other parties to fight to keep the UK in the single market and customs union and continue collaboration on research with European partners.

Sir Vince said: "What we now need is an exit from Brexit.

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"The exit from Brexit comes as a result of the policy that we have adopted, which is that we must consult the British public at the end of the process."

He said voters should be asked: "Do you wish to accept what is coming down the track, jumping off the cliff and hoping there's a tree to catch you, or do we want to stay within the European Union?"

Sir Vince had previously expressed opposition to such a move, describing it as "seriously disrespectful and politically utterly counterproductive".

But Sir Vince has changed his mind, insisting a new vote would not be a re-run of the 2016 plebiscite, but rather a new question in changed circumstances.

He told activists: "We have gigantic space in the middle of British politics.

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"The two major parties have been captured by ideologues, ideologues on the one hand who hate Europe and on the other hand who hate capitalism.

"As a result, British politics is more polarised and more divided than at any time any of us can remember.

"What is now badly missing is the basic common sense and moderation and mutual respect that are what British politics is at its best.

"My aim is that our party and I will occupy that space in British politics."

Setting out out his political philosophy, Sir Vince added: "In my view the world isn't just about economics and making numbers add up, though that's important.

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"I came into politics as a radical and a reformer and I want to put at the centre of what I do addressing some of the inequalities that disfigure British society.

"I think that can be done.

"I think it can be done because at heart the British public are humane and tolerant and I think we can appeal to that instinct, which is in very marked contrast to the icy indifference of this Conservative government."

He said he was "ambitious for this country and ambitious for our party".

"In difficult times we have shown enormous resilience but I now believe that we can fight our way back, break through and make an enormous success of our party and, eventually, in government."