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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Vince Cable set to become Lib Dem leader | Vince Cable set to become Lib Dem leader |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Sir Vince Cable is set to become leader of the Liberal Democrats later. | Sir Vince Cable is set to become leader of the Liberal Democrats later. |
| The 74-year old is expected to be the only candidate on the ballot paper when nominations close at 16:00 BST. | The 74-year old is expected to be the only candidate on the ballot paper when nominations close at 16:00 BST. |
| Other possible contenders have all ruled themselves out, paving the way for the Twickenham MP and former business secretary to assume the leadership being vacated by Tim Farron. | Other possible contenders have all ruled themselves out, paving the way for the Twickenham MP and former business secretary to assume the leadership being vacated by Tim Farron. |
| Sir Vince, who has been acting and deputy leader in the past, has argued that Brexit is not inevitable. | Sir Vince, who has been acting and deputy leader in the past, has argued that Brexit is not inevitable. |
| Mr Farron stood down after a disappointing general election in which the party increased its number of MPs from nine to 12 but saw its vote share fall to 7.4%. | Mr Farron stood down after a disappointing general election in which the party increased its number of MPs from nine to 12 but saw its vote share fall to 7.4%. |
| Brexit aim | Brexit aim |
| The party's main campaign pledge during the election was to give the public the final say on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU in a further referendum, ahead of the scheduled withdrawal date in March 2019. | The party's main campaign pledge during the election was to give the public the final say on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU in a further referendum, ahead of the scheduled withdrawal date in March 2019. |
| Although Sir Vince has admitted this message did not "cut through", he has argued that attitudes are beginning to change and that the public mood will come round to the party's position. | Although Sir Vince has admitted this message did not "cut through", he has argued that attitudes are beginning to change and that the public mood will come round to the party's position. |
| He has said the Conservative and Labour leaderships are conspiring to negotiate a "hard Brexit" and he is willing to work with MPs from other parties to thwart this. | He has said the Conservative and Labour leaderships are conspiring to negotiate a "hard Brexit" and he is willing to work with MPs from other parties to thwart this. |
| Sir Vince, who was knighted last year, is set to be elected unopposed after other potential candidates, including Jo Swinson, Norman Lamb and Sir Ed Davey, said they would not be putting themselves forward. | Sir Vince, who was knighted last year, is set to be elected unopposed after other potential candidates, including Jo Swinson, Norman Lamb and Sir Ed Davey, said they would not be putting themselves forward. |
| At-a-glance: Sir Vince Cable | |
| Born: 9 May 1943, in York | |
| Educated: Grammar school, Cambridge University | |
| Family: Father of three grown-up children by his first wife, Olympia, who died in 2001. Remarried in 2004. | |
| Job before politics: Economist, lecturer and adviser to the Kenyan government and senior Labour politicians. Chief economist at oil giant Shell. | |
| Political career: A Labour councillor in Glasgow the 1970s, who joined the SDP in 1982 and then won his Twickenham seat for the Lib Dems at the second attempt in 1997. Stood in as Lib Dem leader when Sir Menzies Campbell quit in 2007, was business secretary in the coalition government between 2010 and 2015, before losing his seat. Returned to the Commons in June. Knighted in 2015. | |
| Off duty: Ballroom dancing and writing - about to publish his first novel, a political thriller about a post-Brexit future called Open Arms | |
| The veteran politician, who was a Labour councillor in the 1970s before defecting to the SDP and later joining the Liberal Democrats, has never stood for the party's leadership before. | The veteran politician, who was a Labour councillor in the 1970s before defecting to the SDP and later joining the Liberal Democrats, has never stood for the party's leadership before. |
| But he has become one of its most recognisable and influential figures, having served as deputy to former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Nick Clegg, and been a cabinet minister in the Tory-Lib Dem government for five years. | But he has become one of its most recognisable and influential figures, having served as deputy to former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Nick Clegg, and been a cabinet minister in the Tory-Lib Dem government for five years. |
| He will be the oldest leader of the party in its near 30-year history. | He will be the oldest leader of the party in its near 30-year history. |
| 'Energy and experience' | 'Energy and experience' |
| He has insisted he has the energy, as well as experience, to lead Lib Dems into the next election, which he believes will happen sooner rather than later. | He has insisted he has the energy, as well as experience, to lead Lib Dems into the next election, which he believes will happen sooner rather than later. |
| Mr Farron announced his decision to quit a week after last month's poll, citing the pressures of trying to reconcile his Christian beliefs with his leadership of a progressive political party. | Mr Farron announced his decision to quit a week after last month's poll, citing the pressures of trying to reconcile his Christian beliefs with his leadership of a progressive political party. |
| He later revealed that he had decided to step down during the campaign, in which he was forced to clarify on several occasions his views on whether gay sex was a sin or not. | He later revealed that he had decided to step down during the campaign, in which he was forced to clarify on several occasions his views on whether gay sex was a sin or not. |