Vince Cable to stand down as Lib Dem leader in May

By
Paul Knaggs
-
1214
Vince cable quits

Vince Cable has revealed he will stand down as leader of the Liberal Democrats in May.

The 75-year-old, who has been leader of the party since 2017, said: “I indicated last year that once the Brexit story had moved on, and we had fought this year’s crucial local elections in 9,000 seats across England, it would be time for me to make way for a new generation.

After Tim Farron stepped down to spend more time debating the ins and outs of gay sex, Vince Cable took the reins. Their main aim to push for yet another EU referendum their only political trend. Still, despite marketing themselves as a fiercely anti-Brexit party, the Lib Dems have seen next to no polling increase and sit untouched on the political sale rail.

Opposing Brexit seems to be the only thing that Lib Dems can agree on. But considering that the party U-turned on its previous flagship policy – abolishing university tuition fees – when it joined forces with the Conservatives in 2010, it is understandable that the public would be wary of trusting it. In july of 2018 both Cable and Farron were absence from a crucial Brexit vote in July, which could have toppled Theresa May’s government, even more damning.

Both Cable, Farron apologised after they missed the votes on two government-backed amendments tabled by Brexiters that passed with a majority of just three.

We should never let the Lib Dems forget 

After Nick Clegg led them into government with the Tories in 2010, the Lib Dems voted in favour of devastating cuts to public spending. Rough sleeping doubled between 2010 and 2015. In the same period, nearly 20,000 police were taken off the streets and the NHS lost 7,000 nurses. In 2015, 30,000 deaths were linked to cuts in health and social care. That year the number of people relying on food banks hit record levels.

The list of disastrous cuts introduced by the Tory-led coalition is endless. But the Lib Dems enabled nearly all of these measures, contributing to a national mood of resentment that made it easy for right wing opportunists to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.

The Tories were ideologically obsessed with austerity, but the Lib Dems had their own fixations. Students were saddled with a lifetime of debt and public services were starved of money just so Clegg’s party could indulge its doomed fantasy of holding a referendum on proportional representation. Clegg once publicly supported the idea of an EU referendum, but by 2015 he no longer needed to as his party’s collapse allowed the Tories to pursue one alone.

The Lib Dems have spent the last two years acting as though Brexit is beneath them and they have little understanding of its motivations. Donning a self-righteous superiority complex.

While they may not have been in government during the referendum campaign, the Lib Dems must face up to their role in creating the circumstances that allowed the politics of division to thrive. Vice cable as been front and centre throughout and will not be missed.

Cable self righteous to the end.

Cable said tonight:”I set considerable store by having an orderly, business-like, succession unlike the power struggles in the other parties.

“So I wanted you, our members, to know that, assuming Parliament does not collapse into an early general election, I will ask the party to begin a leadership contest in May.”

Last year  Cable had said he will step down as leader of the Liberal Democrats after Brexit is “resolved or stopped” in a speech outlining plans to allow non-MPs to stand to be his successor.

In a statement, the Twickenham MP said: “I indicated last year that once the Brexit story had moved on, and we had fought this year’s crucial local elections in 9,000 seats across England, it would be time for me to make way for a new generation.

He said he would ask the party to begin a leadership contest in May.

He added: “It has been my great privilege to lead the Liberal Democrats at this crucial time.

“I inherited the leadership after two difficult and disappointing general elections. But I take pride in seeing the party recovering strongly, with last year’s local election results the best in 15 years, record membership and a central role in the People’s Vote campaign.”

Today, MP’s unanimously voted not to back a second referendum!

 

 

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